LINCOLN  ROOM 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
LIBRARY 


MEMORIAL 

the  Class  of  1901 

founded  by 

HARLAN  HOYT  HORNER 

and 
HENRIETTA  CALHOUN  HORNER 


THE  REAL  LINCOLN 


ge  H.  A'/ri-f.  fhtl 

ABRAHAM  LINCOLN 
Photograph  by  Alexander  Hesler,  June,  1860 


THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

A  Portrait 


BY 


JESSE  W.  WEIK 


WITH  ILLUSTRATIONS 


BOSTON  AND  NEW  YORK 

HOUGHTON  MIFFLIN  COMPANY 

fcifaerstbe  Qrcss  Cambridge 
1922 


COPYRIGHT,  1922,  BY  JESSE  W.  WEIS 
ALL  RIGHTS  RESERVED 


£bt  XUbetcftt  IJrros 

CAMBRIDGE  .  MASSACHUSETTS 
PRINTED  IN  THE  U.S.A. 


3 


TO  MY  WIFE 


FOREWORD 

NOT  long  after  the  appearance  of  Herndon's  Life  of  Lin- 
coln, in  the  preparation  of  which  I  collaborated  with  the 
author,  I  was  asked  by  the  late  Leonard  Swett  to  visit  him 
when  I  next  came  to  Chicago.  In  due  time  I  complied  with 
the  invitation.  It  was  not  long  after  I  had  called  until  our 
conversation  turned  on  the  Life  of  Lincoln  which  was  then 
undergoing  the  test  of  popular  approval.  It  was  soon  ap- 
parent that  Mr.  Swett  greatly  admired  Herndon  and  he 
was  generous  and  complimentary  in  his  allusions  to  the 
book;  but  while  he  expressed  the  belief  that  Herndon,  of 
all  persons  who  had  attempted  to  narrate  the  story  of 
Lincoln's  life,  was  best  qualified  to  tell  all  the  truth  and 
had  religiously  tried  to  do  so,  yet  he  felt  that  in  some  re- 
spects, due  probably  to  his  advanced  age,  he  had  fallen 
short  of  his  full  task.  Mr.  Swett  intimated  that  he  had 
talked  to  certain  other  friends,  to  whom  he  purposed  send- 
ing me,  who  knew  Lincoln  personally,  and  they  coincided 
with  his  view.  He  mentioned  Joseph  Medill,  Horace  White, 
Henry  C.  Whitney,  Leonard  W.  Volk,  the  sculptor,  and 
Alexander  Hesler,  the  photographer,  all  of  whom  I  inter- 
viewed. In  addition  he  took  me  to  see  Lyman  Trumbull, 
and  I  listened  with  deep  interest  to  their  recollections  of 
Lincoln  and  Herndon.  Regarding  the  need,  in  view  of  his 
unusual  opportunities,  of  fuller  revelations  from  Herndon, 
Swett  and  Trumbull  agreed  with  each  other,  but  in  certain 
other  respects,  notably  their  estimate  of  Lincoln,  they  were 
not  in  complete  accord.  Trumbull,  I  regret  to  say,  mani- 


viii  FOREWORD 

fested  an  inclination  to  rob  Lincoln  of  the  credit  of  some  of 
his  achievements.  I  remember  he  criticized  Nicolay  and 
Hay  because  they  claimed  that  Lincoln  opened  the  way  for 
the  freedom  of  the  slaves,  whereas,  as  he  contended,  Con- 
gress had  done  it  by  two  laws  it  passed  before  Lincoln  is- 
sued the  Emancipation  Proclamation. 

Mr.  Swett's  criticism  of  Herndon  was  that  he  had  failed 
to  bring  out  as  fully  as  he  should  the  human  side  of  Lin- 
coln, the  incidents  of  his  domestic  and  home  life,  and  es- 
pecially a  definite  and  searching  insight  into  his  activities 
as  a  lawyer.  He  maintained  that  Mr.  Lincoln,  notwith- 
standing his  brilliant  career  as  a  statesman,  would  never 
cease  to  be  remembered  as  a  lawyer  and  as  such  would  be 
judged  by  the  world;  that  therefore  the  more  we  learned 
of  that  phase  of  his  life,  the  clearer  and  more  impressive 
would  be  the  portrait  we  should  be  able  to  transmit  to 
posterity.  Our  knowledge,  therefore,  of  all  that  Lincoln 
accomplished  in  the  law  office  and  the  court-room,  as  well 
as  how  he  did  it,  is  in  the  highest  degree  essential. 

Another  criticism  by  Mr.  Swett  was  that  not  enough 
attention  had  been  given  to  Mr.  Lincoln's  Springfield  en- 
vironment —  his  connection  with  local  affairs,  commercial 
as  well  as  political.  We  should  know  more  about  him  as  a 
fellow  townsman  —  where  and  how  he  lived  and  how  he 
spent  his  money.  A  great  deal  has  been  written  regarding 
his  public  career,  as  statesman  and  Chief  Magistrate  dur- 
ing the  most  eventful  period  in  our  national  history;  but 
more  remains  to  be  said  of  that  period  of  his  evolution 
which  antedates  his  elevation  to  the  Presidency;  in  other 
words,  there  should  be  more  local  color,  more  of  the  details 
of  his  personal  history  as  revealed  by  his  neighbors  —  in 


FOREWORD  ix 

short,  the  doors  of  his  office  and  of  his  home  should  be 
made  to  swing  open  and  the  light  turned  on  so  that  we 
may  indeed  view  him  as  a  man. 

My  visit  to  Chicago  convinced  me  that  Mr.  Swett  sim- 
ply voiced  the  opinion  of  the  friends  of  Lincoln  whose 
names  I  have  mentioned,  as  well  as  others  whom  I  else- 
where encountered.  Since  then  my  earnest  endeavor  has 
been  to  learn  and  record  the  truth  as  it  developed  in  a 
careful  study  of  one  of  the  greatest  characters  in  human 
history,  and  to  that  end  these  pages  have  been  written. 

For  the  benefit  of  their  ripe  knowledge  and  discrim- 
inating judgment  as  well  as  the  use  of  a  generous  array 
of  letters,  papers,  and  other  valuable  historical  material, 
I  am  indebted  to  an  army  of  friends.  Among  them  may 
be  named  Charles  A.  Dryer,  of  Indianapolis;  Dr.  Wil- 
liam W.  Sweet,  of  DePauw  University,  Greencastle,  In- 
diana ;  and  Isaac  R.  Diller  and  the  late  John  W.  Bunn, 
of  Springfield,  Illinois.  The  full  list  is  too  large  for 
individual  mention,  but  each  contributor  may  console 
himself  with  the  reflection  that  he  has  added  materially 
to  a  truthful  history  of  THE  REAL  LINCOLN. 

JESSE  W.  WEIK 
GREENCASTLE,  INDIANA 
August  10,  1921 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  I  i 

Preliminary  words  —  Beginning  investigations  at  Springfield  — 
Estimates  of  Horace  White  and  Henry  C.  Whitney  —  Compari- 
son of  Lincoln  and  Herndon  —  Visiting  places  where  Lincoln 
labored  —  Conference  with  Herndon  —  Preparing  "The  True 
Story  of  a  Great  Life"  —  Description  of  the  Lincoln  and  Hern- 
don library  —  Dismantling  the  law  office. 

CHAPTER  II  13 

Lincoln's  birth  in  Kentucky  —  Visiting  his  birthplace  —  Some 
of  his  early  playmates  —  Interviewing  Austin  Gollaher  and 
others  at  Hodgenville  and  Elizabethtown  —  Dr.  Rodman's  visit 
to  Washington  —  Recollections  of  the  artist  Rowbotham  — 
The  removal  to  Indiana  —  Lincoln's  schooling  there  —  Inci- 
dents of  his  boyhood  —  Association  with  Dennis  Hanks  —  Cut- 
ting wood  at  Posey's  Landing  —  Letters  of  Dennis  Hanks  to 
Herndon. 

CHAPTER  III  28 

The  question  of  Lincoln's  birth  and  descent  —  The  various 
books  on  the  subject  —  Investigations  by  Herndon  and  the  au- 
thor in  Kentucky  and  elsewhere  —  The  Enloe  tradition  —  The 
Lincoln  family  Bible  record  —  Sarah  Lincoln  —  The  John  L. 
Scripps  incident  —  Herndon's  story  of  his  ride  with  Lincoln  to 
Petersburg  —  Dennis  and  John  Hanks,  who  they  were  and 
whence  they  sprang  —  Their  letters  to  Herndon  regarding  the 
Lincoln  family  tree. 

CHAPTER  IV  47 

Removal  of  the  Lincolns  from  Indiana  to  Illinois  in  1830  — 
Thomas  Lincoln  sells  the  land  to  Charles  Grigsby  —  Leaving 
Gentryville  —  Names  of  the  emigrants  and  description  of  the 
journey  —  Reaching  Macon  County,  Illinois  —  Abe  leaves  the 
family  near  Decatur  and  pushes  out  for  himself — Thomas 
Lincoln  and  the  Hankses  —  Story  of  Thomas  Johnston  jailed 
for  stealing  a  watch  and  how  Lincoln  saved  him  —  Recollections 
of  Harriet  Chapman,  who  lived  at  the  Lincoln  home  in  Spring- 
field. 


xii  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  V  56 

Lincoln's  several  proposals  of  marriage  —  Story  of  his  failure  to 
join  Mary  Todd  at  the  Edwards  home,  January,  1 841  —  His  let- 
ter to  John  T.  Stuart  —  Invitation  to  John  Hanks  —  Prepara- 
tions for  the  marriage  to  Mary  Todd  —  The  story  of  the  wed- 
ding —  Judge  Browne's  amusing  interruption  —  Conflicting 
views  of  Springfield  people  —  Writer's  visit  to  and  interview 
with  Ninian  W.  Edwards  and  wife  —  Refusal  of  Mrs.  Simeon 
Francis  to  tell  her  story. 

CHAPTER  VI  65 

Lincoln's  attitude  toward  the  ladies  —  His  attentions  to  Sarah 
Rickard  —  What  Mary  Owens  said  about  him  —  His  conduct  in 
the  parlor  —  The  stag  literary  society  —  How  he,  with  the  aid 
of  Evan  Butler  and  James  Matheney,  punished  the  drunken 
shoemaker  —  His  bashfulness  —  Whitney's  account  of  his  em- 
barrassment before  the  ladies  at  Urbana  —  The  evening  at  Nor- 
man B.  Judd's  residence  —  What  Mrs.  Judd  recollected  —  Lin- 
coln's break  at  the  concert  —  His  attentions  to  the  lady  per- 
former —  What  Davis  and  Swett  said  to  him  about  it  —  His 
reply. 

CHAPTER  VII  81 

Lincoln's  passion  for  women  —  How  he  dealt  with  them  — 
Herndon's  testimony  —  Interviewing  one  of  Lincoln's  female 
clients  —  Her  story  of  his  conduct  —  Lincoln  on  the  circuit  — 
Avoiding  social  functions  —  Fondness  for  concerts  and  like  en- 
tertainments at  the  town  hall  —  Accompanying  Henry  C.  Whit- 
ney to  the  negro  minstrel  show  in  Chicago  —  Efforts  of  author 
to  determine  if  Lincoln  attended  lecture  by  Thackeray  in  St. 
Louis  —  Lincoln's  status  as  a  married  man  —  His  wife's  tem- 
perament and  its  effect  on  him  —  Her  traits  of  character  —  Her 
management  of  the  household  —  Her  experience  with  Spring- 
field tradesmen. 

CHAPTER  VIII  96 

Further  accounts  of  Mrs.  Lincoln  —  Herndon's  account  of  the 
dance  with  her  —  The  serenade  —  Riding  with  the  Bradfords 
—  Her  difficulties  with  the  servants  —  Her  husband's  ingenious 
scheme  to  retain  them  —  The  government  of  the  children  — 
Lincoln  taking  them  to  the  office  on  Sunday  —  His  control  over 
them  —  Playing  chess  with  Judge  Treat  —  An  interesting 


CONTENTS  xiii 

glimpse  by  a  law  student  —  Description  of  the  office  —  How 
Lincoln  dressed  —  How  he  spent  the  day  —  His  habits  of  study 

—  Escorting  Mrs.  Lincoln  to  a  ball  —  Her  husband's  considera- 
tion for  her  —  His  action  when  a  storm  threatened. 

CHAPTER  IX  109 

A  Springfield  lawyer's  opinion  of  Lincoln's  mental  equipment  — 
Outline  of  his  physical  organization  —  His  appetite  —  How  he 
ate  an  apple  —  His  predisposition  to  melancholy  —  Description 
of  his  figure  —  His  head,  arms,  and  legs  —  His  countenance,  his 
walk,  and  other  physical  attributes  —  His  mental  processes  — 
His  perception,  judgment,  and  conscience  —  His  indifference  as 
to  forms  or  methods  —  A  profound  reasoner  —  Remorseless  in 
analysis  —  A  giant  intellect  and  in  full  comprehension  of  his  own 
ability. 

CHAPTER  X  119 

Behind  the  door  of  Lincoln's  home  —  What  the  neighbors  saw 
and  heard  —  The  testimony  of  James  Gourley  —  Lincoln's  gar- 
den and  dooryard  —  The  ups  and  downs  of  life  at  the  Eighth 
Street  home  —  How  Lincoln  and  his  wife  agreed  —  What  Josiah 
P.  Kent  saw  and  remembered  —  Mrs.  Lincoln  and  the  iceman 

—  The  family  carriage  —  Buying  a  ticket  to  the  circus  —  Juve- 
nile pranks  at  Lincoln's  expense  —  Mrs.  Lincoln's  peculiarities 
of  temperament. 

CHAPTER  XI  127 

Lincoln  as  a  lawyer  —  Estimates  of  David  Davis  and  others  — 
First  leaning  toward  the  law  manifested  in  Indiana  —  Borrow- 
ing books  of  Judge  Pitcher,  of  Rockport  —  Attending  squire's 
court  at  Gentryville  —  Studying  law  books  after  reaching  New 
Salem  —  Admission  to  the  bar  at  Springfield  —  His  opinion  of 
examinations — Story  of  an  applicant  he  himself  examined — The 
note  to  Judge  Logan  —  Hawthorne  vs.  Woolridge,  his  first  case: 
its  history  and  termination  —  Scammon  vs.  Cline,  his  first  case 
in  the  Supreme  Court  —  His  last  appearance  in  court  —  His 
three  partnerships  —  His  wonderful  ability  as  a  reasoner  —  The 
scope  and  extent  of  his  practice  —  Range  and  size  of  his  fees  — 
His  skill  and  care  in  the  preparation  of  papers  —  The  trial  of 
Bailey  vs.  Cromwell  proving  that  a  negro  girl  was  not  a  slave  — 
Also  Carman  vs.  Glasscock  involving  the  navigability  of  the 
Sangamon  River. 


xiv  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  XII  148 

Green  vs.  Green,  Lincoln's  first  divorce  case  —  His  dislike  for 
divorce  suits  —  His  magnanimity  in  the  trial  of  Samuel  Rogers 
vs.  Polly  Rogers  —  His  comment  on  the  Miller  vs.  Miller  peti- 
tion—  A  pitiful  story  of  marital  discord  —  A  slow  collector  — 
Rarely  enforced  collection  of  fees  by  suit  —  When  in  partnership 
with  Logan  brought  one  suit  for  fee  —  Retained  by  Illinois  Cen- 
tral Railroad  to  enjoin  McLean  County  from  assessing  road  for 
taxation  —  Lincoln's  letter  to  Brayman  —  Gains  case  in  Su- 
preme Court — Lincoln  sues  railroad  company  for  his  fee  —  His- 
tory of  transaction  —  Dividing  fee  with  Herndon  —  One  of 
Lincoln's  first  suits  for  personal  injury  —  The  Horological  Cra- 
dle case  —  The  slander  suit  of  McKibben  vs.  Hart  —  Turning 
the  fee  over  to  his  father  —  The  Spink  vs.  Chiniquiy  case  settled 
by  Lincoln  —  The  Dungey  vs.  Spencer  case  as  recalled  by  Law- 
rence Weldon  —  Fixing  Lincoln's  fee  —  Linder  vs.  Fleenor  — 
How  Lincoln  proved  the  marriage  —  Dorman  vs.  Lane  —  Pro- 
posal by  Lincoln  to  his  associates  that  they  join  him  and  donate 
fees  as  a  wedding  present.  - 

CHAPTER  XIII  169 

Lincoln  seldom  wrote  briefs  or  legal  arguments  —  Scarcely  ever 
made  notes  —  Of  the  few  briefs  he  reduced  to  writing  Herndon 
preserved  but  a  portion  —  One  was  a  petition  for  rehearing  in 
Patterson  vs.  Edwards,  tried  in  the  Supreme  Court  in  1845  — 
Slander  suit  between  two  women  —  Notable  specimen  of  Lin- 
coln's reasoning  —  Smith  vs.  Smith,  suit  on  election  bet — Vigor- 
ous denunciation  of  those  who  bet  on  elections  —  Hurd  vs.  Rock 
Island  Bridge  Company  tried  by  Lincoln  in  United  States  Cir- 
cuit Court  in  Chicago — Record  of  Lincoln's  argument  before  the 
jury  as  delivered,  preserved,  and  reproduced  by  Robert  R.  Hitt, 
the  shorthand  reporter  —  How  Lincoln  talked  when  he  faced  a 
jury  —  What  he  thought  of  Judge  McLean. 

CHAPTER  XIV  188 

Life  on  the  circuit  —  The  Eighth  Circuit  described  —  Lincoln 
only  lawyer  who  traveled  over  all  of  it  —  His  horse  and  buggy 
—  The  landlord's  welcome  —  Life  at  the  tavern  —  Lincoln's 
dress  —  Leonard  Swett's  introduction  to  Lincoln  and  Davis  — 
Lincoln's  methods  described  by  Henry  C.  Whitney  —  Joins 
Leonard  Swett  in  defense  of  a  murderer  —  His  record  in  fugitive 
slave  cases  —  Explanation  by  John  W.  Bunn  of  his  few  appear- 
ances in  court  in  behalf  of  runaway  slaves  —  Account  by  J. 


CONTENTS  xv 

Birch  of  Lincoln  lounging  in  the  county  clerk's  office  —  Also  his 
physical  appearance  and  habits  in  political  campaigns  —  The 
Wright  case  —  Befriending  the  Matheney  heirs  —  Forcing  the 
foreign  impostor  to  disgorge  his  gains  —  Fee  paid  by  Jacob 
Bunn  and  how  Lincoln  applied  it.  < 

CHAPTER  XV  206 

How  Lincoln  whiled  away  his  spare  moments  in  Springfield  — 
Places  he  was  in  the  habit  of  frequenting  —  An  evening  in  the 
office  of  Colonel  W.  B.  Warren,  Clerk  of  the  Supreme  Court  — 
Incidents  of  Lincoln's  stay  at  Urbana  in  the  spring  of  1856  — 
Stealing  the  hotel  gong  —  Apprised  of  his  vote  for  Vice-Presi- 
dent at  the  Republican  National  Convention  in  Philadelphia  — 
Leaving  Urbana  for  Springfield  —  Riding  in  the  omnibus  — 
Whitney's  recollection  of  Lincoln's  modest  fees  —  His  financial 
accumulations  —  The  bank  account  of  Lincoln  &  Herndon. 

CHAPTER  XVI  215 

Instances  of  Lincoln's  weakness  —  His  unwonted  faith  in  cer- 
tain friends  —  His  blindness  to  their  faults  —  His  failure  to  re- 
deem Herndon  —  Joining  the  charmed  circle  at  the  tavern  — 
His  bland  and  inexplicable  confidence  in  the  ability  and  moral 
influence  of  Ward  Lamon  —  Appoints  him  United  States  Mar- 
shal of  the  District  of  Columbia  —  Lamon's  attempt  to  influ- 
ence General  Fremont  —  Scheme  to  transport  troops  to  West 
Virginia  —  The  pretended  Lamon's  Brigade  —  Investigation 
by  Congressional  committee  which  denounces  Lamon  in  scath- 
ing report  —  Notwithstanding  opposition  of  fifteen  Senators 
Lincoln  adheres  to  him  —  Mark  W.  Delahay  another  instance 
of  Lincoln's  misplaced  confidence  —  Surprise  of  John  J.  Ingalls 
—  Lincoln  finally  appoints  him  United  States  Judge  for  the 
District  of  Kansas  —  Congressional  committee  visits  Kansas 
to  investigate  Delahay *s  moral  and  official  conduct  —  Delahay 
resigns  to  avoid  impeachment  —  Lincoln's  appointment  of  Si- 
mon Cameron  and  the  trouble  it  gave  him  —  Herndon's  letter 
to  Henry  Wilson  —  Lincoln's  real  estimate  of  Douglas  —  What 
he  told  C.  H.  Moore  about  Douglas  —  Incidents  of  the  joint  de- 
bate —  The  recollections  of  Horace  White. 

CHAPTER  XVII  237 

Lincoln  as  a  student  —  The  effect  of  a  college  education  —  Com- 
parison of  John  Fiske's  and  Lincoln's  conception  of  social  evolu- 
tion—  Lincoln  takes  up  Euclid  —  Reading  "The  Annual  of 


xvi  CONTENTS 

Science"  —  Studying  higher  mathematics  —  His  attempt  to 
square  the  circle  —  His  self-confidence  and  secretiveness  —  His 
mechanical  bent  —  Securing  a  patent  —  Working  on  the  model 
of  his  invention  at  Walter  Davis's  shop  —  Explaining  it  to  his 
partner  and  callers  at  his  office  —  Preparing  his  lecture  on  "  Dis- 
coveries and  Inventions "  —  Delivers  it  at  Jacksonville  and 
Springfield  —  What  some  of  his  colleagues  thought  about  it  — 
Several  paragraphs  of  the  lecture  —  Account  by  S.  H.  Melvin 
of  what  Lincoln  did  with  the  manuscript  —  Herndon  also  enters 
the  lecture  field  —  Delivers  his  effort  entitled  "The  Sweep  of 
Commerce"  before  an  audience  in  Cook's  Hall  in  Springfield  — 
What  the  "Journal"  said  about  it. 

CHAPTER  XVIII  251 

An  epoch  in  Lincoln's  life  —  His  political  baptism  —  Signs  the 
call  for  the  Bloomington  Convention  —  Herndon's  account  of 
the  incident  —  How  Stuart  tried  to  retard  him  —  Lincoln  an- 
nounces himself — His  speech  at  the  Bloomington  Convention 
—  The  prediction  of  Jesse  K.  Dubois  described  by  Whitney  — 
Lincoln  invited  to  speak  in  New  York  —  Effect  on  his  neighbors 
in  Springfield  —  What  John  T.  Stuart  said  —  The  Cooper  Insti- 
tute address  —  His  speeches  in  New  England  —  How  he  im- 
pressed the  Eastern  people  —  Mentioned  for  President  by  the 
press  —  County  convention  in  Springfield  endorses  him  for 
President  —  He  attends  the  Decatur  meeting  where  John 
Hanks  brings  in  the  famous  rails  —  Crowds  of  Lincoln's  friends 
head  for  Chicago,  leaving  him  at  Springfield  —  The  Chicago 
Convention  —  What  Lincoln  was  doing  at  home  —  The  nomi- 
nation on  Friday  —  How  Lincoln  received  the  news  —  The  ac- 
count by  Clinton  L.  Conkling  —  The  effect  at  Springfield  — 
Marching  to  Lincoln's  house  —  His  speech  —  Arrival  of  notifi- 
cation committee  from  Chicago  —  Incidents  of  their  visit  —  The 
notification  ceremony  in  the  parlor  of  Lincoln's  home  —  Inci- 
dents of  the  campaign  —  All  paths  lead  to  Springfield  —  The 
great  rally  in  August  —  Letter  of  John  Hanks  supporting  the 
claims  of  his  cousin  Abe  Lincoln  —  Some  local  campaigners  — 
Herndon's  speech  at  Petersburg  —  Comments  of  the  local  pa- 
pers. 

CHAPTER  XIX  282 

Lincoln  the  candidate  for  President  —  Meeting  the  expenses  of 
the  campaign  —  Judge  Logan's  plan  —  The  ten  friends  of  Lin- 
coln who  contributed  —  John  W.  Bunn's  story  of  the  fund  — 


CONTENTS  xvii 

John  G.  Nicolay  selected  as  Lincoln's  secretary  —  Lincoln's  at- 
tention to  the  details  of  the  campaign  —  Meets  with  local  com- 
mittee—  Recommends  John  Hay  as  assistant  secretary  —  Inter- 
esting reminiscence  of  John  W.  Bunn  —  How  Lincoln  bore  him- 
self throughout  the  campaign  —  The  election  —  Lincoln  going 
to  the  polls  —  Assigned  quarters  for  his  office  in  the  State 
House  —  His  habits  as  President  elect  —  Goes  to  Chicago  to 
meet  Hannibal  Hamlin  —  Returns  to  Springfield  —  Visitors  at 
his  office  and  incidents  of  his  stay  there — Journeys  to  Charleston 
to  see  his  stepmother  —  Account  of  his  visit  and  interesting 
reminiscence  by  James  A.  Connolly  —  Returns  to  Springfield 
and  begins  preparations  for  the  journey  to  Washington  —  Last 
visit  to  his  law  office  —  Final  interview  with  Herndon. 

CHAPTER  XX  303 

Last  social  function  at  Lincoln's  home  —  He  receives  threaten- 
ing letters  —  Sends  a  friend  to  Washington  to  sound  General 
Scott  —  General  Thomas  S.  Mather  returns  with  his  report  — 
Plans  for  Lincoln's  journey  to  Washington  as  outlined  in  the 
local  papers  —  Personnel  of  the  party  selected  to  accompany 
him  —  Leaving  the  Chenery  House  —  His  trunks  —  Departure 
from  the  railway  station  —  Lincoln's  farewell  speech  —  Story 
of  the  two  versions  —  His  emotion  when  the  train  moved  off. 

INDEX  315 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

ABRAHAM  LINCOLN  Frontispiece 

Photograph  taken  by  Alexander  Hesler  at  Lincoln's  home  in  Spring- 
field a  few  days  after  his  nomination  for  President.  Pronounced  by 
Mr.  Herndon  to  be  the  best  and  most  lifelike  portrait  of  Lincoln  in 
existence.  Reproduced  by  permission  of  Mr.  George  B.  Ayres. 

WILLIAM  HENRY  HERNDON  2 

LINCOLN'S  POCKET  SCRAPBOOK  CARRIED  DURING  THE  CAM- 
PAIGN OF  1858  AGAINST  DOUGLAS  IO 

PAGE  FROM  LINCOLN'S  HAND-MADE  ARITHMETIC,  USED  BY 
HIM  WHILE  A  SCHOOLBOY  IN  GENTRYVILLE,  INDIANA  22 

THE  FAMILY  RECORD  IN  THOMAS  LINCOLN'S  BIBLE,  CHIEFLY 
IN  ABRAHAM  LINCOLN'S  HAND  32 

HOUSE  NEAR  FARMINGTON,  ILLINOIS,  IN  WHICH  THOMAS 
LINCOLN  LIVED,  AND  WHERE  HE  DIED  IN  1851  50 

JOSHUA  F.  SPEED  AND  HIS  WIFE  62 

From  a  painting  owned  by  the  family. 

SARAH  RICKARD  68 

From  a  woodcut  after  a  photograph  by  R.  T.  Jones. 

MARY  S.  OWENS  68 

From  a  photograph. 

MARY  TODD  LINCOLN  96 

From  a  photograph. 

CERTIFICATE  OF  SURVEY  WRITTEN  BY  LINCOLN  WHEN  HE 
WAS  DEPUTY  SURVEYOR  UNDER  JOHN  CALHOUN  IN  1834     no 

JUDGE  JOHN  PITCHER  130 


xx  ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE  OF  THE  RECORDS  OF  THE  CIRCUIT  COURT  OF  SANGAMON 
COUNTY,  ILLINOIS,  FOR  MARCH  24,  1836,  SHOWING  THE 
COURT  ORDER  CERTIFYING  TO  LINCOLN'S  GOOD  MORAL 
CHARACTER  ON  HIS  ADMISSION  TO  THE  BAR  134 

PAPERS  IN  LINCOLN'S  FIRST  CASE,  HAWTHORN  vs.  WOOL- 
DRIDGE  138 

ITEMS  FROM  STUART  AND  LINCOLN'S  FEE  BOOK  142 

LINCOLN'S  BRIEF  IN  A  CASE  INVOLVING  THE  NAVIGABILITY 
OF  THE  SANGAMON  RIVER  146 

LINCOLN'S  BILL  AGAINST  THE  ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD 
COMPANY,  WITH  COPY  OF  OPINION  SIGNED  BY  FELLOW 
LAWYERS  154 

LEONARD  SWETT  192 

HENRY  C.  WHITNEY  192 

PART  OF  A  LETTER  OF  LINCOLN'S  TO  A  CLIENT  (ROWLAND 
SMITH  &  Co.,  APRIL  24,  1844),  SHOWING  ERRORS  IN  HIS 
USUALLY  CORRECT  SPELLING  238 

PAGE  OF  LINCOLN'S  MANUSCRIPT  OF  HIS  LECTURE  "DISCOV- 
ERIES AND  INVENTIONS  "  246 

CALL  FOR  A  COUNTY  CONVENTION  TO  APPOINT  DELEGATES 
TO  THE  REPUBLICAN  STATE  CONVENTION  AT  BLOOMING- 
TON,  1856  254 

STEPHEN  T.  LOGAN  282 

From  a  painting  by  G.  P.  A.  Healy. 

JOHN  T.  STUART  282 

From  a  photograph  of  one  of  the  earliest  daguerreotypes  made  in  this 
country,  believed  to  have  been  taken  by  S.  F.  B.  Morse,  inventor  of 
the  telegraph. 


THE  REAL  LINCOLN 


THE  REAL  LINCOLN 


CHAPTER  I 

Preliminary  words  —  Beginning  investigations  at  Springfield  —  Estimates  of 
Horace  White  and  Henry  C.  Whitney  —  Comparison  of  Lincoln  and  Herndon 
—  Visiting  places  where  Lincoln  labored  —  Conference  with  Herndon  —  Pre- 
paring "  The  True  Story  of  a  Great  Life  " —  Description  of  the  Lincoln  and 
Herndon  library  —  Dismantling  the  law  office. 

ABRAHAM  LINCOLN  is  rapidly  nearing  his  place  among  the 
fixed  stars;  but  before  he  is  borne  aloft  in  the  nimbus  of 
immortality  which  invariably  overtakes  a  deservedly  great 
and  illustrious  character,  I  feel  emboldened  to  submit  a 
few  incidents  gathered  by  me  during  a  patient  study  of  the 
man's  history  covering  almost  half  a  century.  This  array 
of  material,  including  facts  emanating  from  certain  au- 
thentic and  trustworthy  sources,  will,  I  hope,  serve  to  bring 
out  in  sharper  outline  that  portrait  which,  we  are  assured, 
some  great  artist,  set  apart  for  the  task,  is  destined  yet  to 
produce.  In  thus  acquainting  the  public  with  the  results 
of  my  investigations  I  shall  endeavor  to  avoid  the  expres- 
sion of  my  own  opinions,  being  content  to  impart  the  in- 
formation as  nearly  as  I  can  in  the  shape  it  came  to  me. 

To  begin  with  I  do  not  feel  justified  in  putting  on  record 
the  facts  and  conclusions  outlined  in  the  following  pages 
without  first  paying  a  merited  tribute  to  the  memory  of 
William  H.  Herndon,  who,  of  all  persons,  as  Horace  White 
has  so  fittingly  observed,  has  "most  thoroughly  searched 
the  sources  of  Lincoln's  biography  and  most  attentively, 


2  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

intelligently  and  also  lovingly  studied  his  character.  He 
was  generous  in  imparting  his  information  to  others. 
Almost  every  Life  of  Lincoln  published  since  the  tragedy 
at  Ford's  Theater  has  been  enriched  by  his  labors.  He 
was  nine  years  the  junior  of  Lincoln.  Their  partnership 
began  in  1843  and  it  continued  until  it  was  dissolved  by 
the  death  of  the  senior  member.  Between  them  there 
was  never  an  unkind  word  or  thought.  When  Lincoln 
became  President,  Herndon  could  have  had  his  fortunes 
materially  advanced  under  the  new  Administration  by 
saying  a  word.  He  was  a  poor  man  then  and  always,  but 
he  chose  to  remain  in  his  more  humble  station  and  to  earn 
his  bread  by  his  daily  labor." 

I  can  conceive  of  nothing  more  significant  and  illumi- 
nating than  the  following  estimate  of  Herndon  by  one  who 
was  his  associate  at  the  bar  and  who,  for  upwards  of  thirty- 
five  years,  maintained  with  him  the  most  intimate  rela- 
tions. In  a  letter  to  Herndon  this  gentleman  —  the  late 
Henry  C.  Whitney,  of  Urbana,  Illinois  —  says:  "You  saw 
Lincoln  as  he  was  and  know  him  far  better  than  all  other 
living  men  combined.  Armed  with  such  knowledge  it  fol- 
lows that  you  know  better  than  others  how  to  delineate 
him.  You  have  the  acuteness  of  vision  that  we  attribute  tc 
Lincoln;  you  acquired  much  of  his  analytical  power  by 
attrition  and  you  thought  deeply  as  he  did.  He  had  un- 
bounded confidence  in  your  intuitions  and  your  adhesion 
to  him.  I  shall  never  forget  the  day  —  January  6,  1859  — 
when  the  legislature  of  Illinois  met  in  joint  session  and 
elected  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  instead  of  himself,  to  the 
United  States  Senate.  I  went  to  your  office  and  found 
Lincoln  there  alone.  He  appeared  to  be  somewhat  de- 


WILLIAM  HENRY  HERNDON 


LINCOLN  AND  HERNDON  3 

jected  —  in  fact  I  never  saw  a  man  so  depressed.  I  tried  to 
rally  his  drooping  spirits  and  thus  extract  all  the  comfort 
possible  from  the  situation,  but  with  ill  success.  He  was 
simply  steeped  in  gloom.  For  a  time  he  was  silent;  finally 
he  straightened  up  and  thanked  me,  but  presently  slid 
back  into  his  chair  again,  blurting  out  as  he  sank  down, 
'Well,  whatever  happens  I  expect  every  one  to  desert  me 
now,  but  Billy  Herndon."1 

As  has  been  truthfully  said,  it  was  his  unwavering  and 
inflexible  devotion  to  the  truth  that  formed  the  predom- 
inating trait  in  the  character  of  William  H.  Herndon.  In 
this  respect  he  resembled  his  illustrious  law  partner.  Both 
men  up  to  a  certain  point  were  very  much  alike;  but  there 
was  a  difference.  Lincoln,  deeply  cautious  and  restrained, 
was  prone  to  abstract  and  thoughtful  calculation.  Hern- 
don, by  nature  forceful  and  alert,  was  quick,  impulsive, 
and  often  precipitate.  If  he  detected  wrong  he  proclaimed 
the  fact  instantly  and  everywhere,  never  piling  up  his 
wrath  and  strength,  as  Lincoln  did,  for  a  future  sweeping 
and  telling  blow.  He  never  stopped  to  calculate  the  force, 
momentum,  or  effect  of  his  opposition;  but  fought  at  the 
drop  of  the  hat,  and  fought  incessantly,  pushing  blindly 
through  the  smoke  of  battle  until  he  was  either  hopelessly 
overcome  or  stood  exultant  on  the  hilltop  of  victory. 
Younger  than  Lincoln  he  was  more  venturesome,  more 
versatile,  perhaps,  and  magnificently  oblivious  of  conse- 
quences. 

Conscious  of  his  limitations  Herndon  knew  that  he  was 
too  radical  and  bold  to  achieve  success  in  politics  and  he 
therefore  sunk  himself  in  the  fortunes  of  his  more  happily 
poised  partner.  In  the  end  posterity  will  accept  the  verdict 


of  Herndon's  friends  that,  despite  his  faults,  he  was  a  noble, 
broad-minded  man;  incapable  of  a  mean  or  selfish  act, 
brave  and  big-hearted,  tolerant,  forgiving,  just,  and  as 
true  to  Lincoln  as  the  "needle  to  the  pole." 

Early  in  the  seventies  I  opened  up  a  correspondence 
with  Herndon  which  ended  only  with  his  death  and  is 
represented  by  over  five  hundred  pages  of  his  manuscript 
now  in  my  possession.  After  my  graduation  from  college 
I  journeyed  from  my  Indiana  home  to  Springfield  to  see 
him,  and  was  so  fascinated  by  his  recital  of  Lincoln's  life 
and  activities  that  I  adopted  his  suggestion  and  decided 
to  remain  there.  For  almost  four  years  I  traced  Lincoln's 
footsteps  viewing  him  from  almost  every  possible  angle. 
My  researches  were  both  continuous  and  painstaking;  nor 
did  I  think  of  desisting  until  I  had  interviewed  or  com- 
municated with  almost  every  person  then  living  in  that 
region  who  had  known  or  talked  with  Lincoln. 

Shortly  after  my  first  meeting  with  Herndon,  he  piloted 
me  to  the  dingy  back  room  on  the  second  floor  of  a 
store  building  facing  the  Court-House  Square  in  Spring- 
field which  had  sheltered  him  and  his  illustrious  partner 
when  they  used  it  for  their  law  office.  "Here,"  he  said, 
"is  where  we  expounded  the  law  to  our  clients,  prepared 
our  papers  and  charged  up  our  fees."  The  room  and  fur- 
niture were  strictly  in  keeping  with  the  modesty  of  their 
fees.  In  the  center  was  a  table,  leaning  against  the  wall 
was  an  old  sofa  or  lounge,  and  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
room  stood  the  bookcase.  An  old  wood-burning  stove  and 
four  or  five  chairs  completed  the  outfit.  The  bookcase 
contained  not  to  exceed  twenty  volumes  and  of  this  num- 
ber scarcely  half  were  law  books,  the  others  miscellaneous, 


IN  SPRINGFIELD  WITH  HERNDON          5 

partly  literary  and  partly  official,  and  statistical  reports. 
After  a  few  hours  spent  in  the  old  law  office,  Herndon 
took  me  to  a  room  over  another  store  building  in  an 
adjacent  square  where,  as  he  related,  Lincoln  wrote  his 
first  Inaugural  Address.  The  store-room  below  was  occu- 
pied by  Lincoln's  brother-in-law,  Mr.  C.  M.  Smith,  who 
conducted  therein  a  dry-goods  store.  We  were  shown 
the  table  on  which  Lincoln  did  his  writing  and  even 
the  inkstand  which,  it  was  said,  he  had  used.  It  was  on 
this  occasion  that  Herndon  told  me  the  story  of  the 
preparation  by  Lincoln  of  this,  his  first  official  document 
as  President.  Having  but  few  books  at  his  home  Lincoln 
asked  Herndon  to  procure  certain  volumes  that  he  might 
consult  them  while  he  was  at  work  preparing  the  Ad- 
dress. Herndon  told  me  he  was  expecting  a  request  for 
numerous  books  and  pamphlets,  but  was  surprised  when 
Lincoln  furnished  him  the  list.  It  consisted  of  only  four 
items:  Jackson's  proclamation  against  Nullification;  Clay's 
famous  speech  on  the  Compromise  of  1850;  Webster's 
reply  to  Hayne,  and  a  copy  of  the  Constitution. 

After  visiting  several  points  of  interest  in  and  about 
the  court-house,  Herndon  and  I  returned  to  the  law  office 
where  we  spent  the  rest  of  the  day.  Lincoln  had  been  but  a 
few  years  in  his  grave  so  that  the  story  of  the  association 
of  himself  and  his  partner,  as  it  came  from  Herndon's  lips, 
was  a  most  vivid  and  entertaining  recital.  From  this  time 
forward  I  was  destined  to  share  to  the  end  of  his  days  the 
confidence  and  friendship  of  this  rare  and  interesting  man. 
From  Herndon  it  was  decreed  I  should  learn  what  manner 
of  man  Lincoln  was,  how  to  measure  him,  to  dissect  his 
moral  structure,  to  analyze  his  mental  processes.  I  soon 


6  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

realized  that  no  other  man  lived  who  comprehended  so 
thoroughly  the  great  character  whose  life  I  was  trying  to 
solve,  who  had  dug  so  deeply  and  laid  bare  the  springs  of 
action,  the  motives  that  animated  that  clear  head,  brave 
heart,  and  strong  right  arm.  It  was  plain  that  Herndon 
with  implicit  faith  and  fanatical  devotion  clung  to  Lincoln, 
and  it  therefore  requires  but  little  evidence  to  convince  us 
that  the  latter,  throughout  the  memorable  and  tempestu- 
ous times  that  made  him  great,  bared  his  heart  and  soul  to 
"Billy  "Herndon. 

In  due  time  Herndon  confided  to  me  his  plans.  He  had 
decided  to  relinquish  the  practice  of  law  and  move  to 
the  country.  Once  there,  it  was  his  purpose  to  write  a 
number  of  articles  for  publication  in  a  newspaper  or  maga- 
zine describing  the  youth  and  early  manhood  of  Lincoln. 
Being  somewhat  infirm,  as  well  as  without  experience  in 
the  art  of  narrative  composition,  he  proposed  that  I  should 
assist  him  and  thus,  by  our  joint  efforts,  we  might  produce 
a  contribution  to  history  the  world  would  accept.  After 
some  reflection  I  decided  to  collaborate  with  him,  but, 
later,  when  he  had  revealed  to  me  the  bountiful  store  of 
information  he  had  accumulated,  the  project  in  my  judg- 
ment began  to  broaden  both  in  scope  and  importance. 
With  the  material  already  at  hand  and  more  of  a  like  na- 
ture almost  as  accessible,  I  felt  warranted  in  believing  that 
a  more  interesting  and  pretentious  work  than  a  few  columns 
of  the  regulation  newspaper  or  magazine  compilations  of 
that  period  would  be  welcomed  by  the  public,  and  I  so 
insisted  to  Herndon.  I  was  therefore  not  a  little  grati- 
fied a  few  days  later  when  he  announced  that,  after  due 
deliberation,  he  had  come  around  to  my  way  of  thinking. 


DISMANTLING  THE  LAW  OFFICE  7 

Having  determined  to  retire  to  the  country  he  then  asked 
me  to  help  him  classify  and  rearrange  his  papers,  remove 
books,  furniture,  and  other  belongings  —  in  short,  dis- 
mantle the  office  generally.  Although  only  preliminary  to 
the  details  of  research,  verification,  and  composition,  which 
were  to  engross  our  attention  for  the  ensuing  three  or  four 
years,  I  was  soon  made  to  realize  that  our  joint  labors  had 
just  begun.  It  only  remains  to  add  that,  eventually,  after 
a  severe  test  of  our  zeal,  vigor,  and  endurance,  the  time 
came  when  we  were  privileged  to  toss  into  the  lap  of  an 
anxious  and  indulgent  world  three  small  volumes,  depict- 
ing the  life  and  achievements  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  under 
the  significant  if  not  euphonious  title:  "The  True  Story  of 
a  Great  Life,  by  William  H.  Herndon."  It  may  not  be  out 
of  place  to  state  here  that  prior  to  this,  Ward  H.  Lamon 
had  begun  a  "Life  of  Lincoln"  obtaining  from  Herndon 
copies  of  numerous  letters  and  papers  which  he  was  al- 
lowed to  use.  In  the  preparation  of  his  manuscript  Lamon 
was  greatly  aided  by  Chauncey  F.  Black,  of  Pennsylvania- 
in  fact,  as  related  by  Herndon,  Black  really  performed  the 
better  part  of  the  work. 

Elsewhere,  in  enumerating  the  contents  of  the  Lincoln 
and  Herndon  law  office,  I  have  mentioned  the  bookcase 
standing  against  the  wall  on  the  north  side  of  the  room. 
It  really  surmounted  a  desk  or  table  in  which  there  were 
two  small  drawers,  the  whole  being  about  eight  feet  high. 
There  were  five  shelves;  books  occupied  the  lower  three 
and  those  above  were  filled  with  a  profusion  of  pamphlets, 
letters,  and  legal  documents.  Judging  by  the  accumula- 
tion of  dust  which  had  settled  on  them  Herndon's  observa- 
tion that  the  majority  dated  back  to  Lincoln's  time  was 


8  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

an  unnecessary  deduction.  On  the  floor  near  by  stood  a 
wooden  box  into  which  Herndon  explained  he  had  been 
placing  papers  of  his  own  as  well  as  matter  concerning 
Lincoln  which  he  had  gathered  since  the  latter's  death. 
On  the  top  of  the  bookcase  I  noticed  a  pasteboard  box. 
It  was  eighteen  or  twenty  inches  square  and  was  minus  a 
lid.  At  the  suggestion  of  Herndon  I  mounted  a  chair,  lifted 
the  box  from  the  place  where  it  had  evidently  reposed  for 
many  years  and  passed  it  down  to  him.  After  removing 
the  layer  of  dust  which  effectually  covered  it,  he  proceeded 
to  explore  its  contents,  remarking  that  it  was  a  box  Lincoln 
had  used.  It  was  filled  with  letters  and  papers  tied  in 
bundles.  One  package  he  withdrew  and  untied.  Beneath 
the  string  was  a  paper  label  about  five  inches  long  contain- 
ing these  words  in  Lincoln's  unmistakable  and  legible 
handwriting:  "When  you  can't  find  it  anywhere  else  look 
into  this."  It  was  a  collection  of  miscellaneous  material  set 
aside  by  Lincoln.  Among  other  things  it  contained  numer- 
ous letters  written  to  Lincoln  during  the  campaigns  of  1856 
and  1858,  some  of  which  Herndon  read  and  commented 
on  for  my  benefit;  but  the  item  which  awakened  his  deep- 
est interest  was  a  couple  of  printed  sermons,  opposing  the 
extension  of  slavery,  delivered  by  Theodore  Parker  of 
Boston  in  the  summer  of  1858.  Herndon  told  me  that 
these  pamphlets  were  sent  to  him  by  Parker  and  that  he 
was  so  deeply  impressed  by  them  that  he  turned  them  over 
to  Lincoln.  The  latter  folded  and  carried  them  in  his 
pocket  to  read.  "That  he  did  read  them,"  said  Herndon 
after  he  had  opened  the  package,  "is  shown  by  the  fact 
that  he  endorsed  them  by  marking  several  paragraphs 
with  his  pen."  He  then  called  my  attention  to  two  para- 


THE  DOUGLAS  NOTEBOOK  9 

graphs  around  which  Lincoln  had  drawn  his  pen.  In  one 
of  them  Parker  said:  "Democracy  is  direct  self-govern- 
ment, over  all  the  people,  for  all  the  people,  by  all  the 
people."  In  another  place  which  Lincoln  had  underscored 
he  said,  "Slavery  is  in  flagrant  violation  of  the  institutions 
of  America  —  direct  government,  over  all  the  people,  by 
all  the  people,  for  all  the  people."  Herndon  insisted  it  was 
from  this  source  that  Lincoln  drew  the  inspiration  for  the 
closing  paragraph  of  his  famous  Gettysburg  Address. 

The  limitations  of  time  and  space  forbid  a  more  ex- 
tended description  of  the  Lincoln-Herndon  office,  but  I 
can  hardly  omit  mention  of  another  reminder  which  Hern- 
don uncovered.  When  he  was  nearing  the  bottom  of  the 
box  containing  the  array  of  miscellaneous  matter  just 
referred  to,  he  withdrew  from  its  depths  a  small  leather- 
covered  book  about  six  by  four  inches  in  size,  the  two  lids 
being  fastened  together  with  a  brass  clasp  in  front.  After 
glancing  through  it  for  a  few  moments  he  gave  it  to  me, 
saying  as  he  placed  it  in  my  hands:  "Here  is  the  most  im- 
portant item  in  this  entire  collection.  It  reminds  me  more 
vividly  of  Lincoln  than  anything  else  we  have  thus  far 
encountered.  I  am  going  to  turn  this  over  to  you  and  I 
trust  you  will  appreciate  and  preserve  it,  for,  in  its  pages, 
you  will  find  carefully  stored  all  the  ammunition  Mr.  Lin- 
coln saw  fit  to  gather  in  preparation  for  his  battle  with 
Stephen  A.  Douglas."  He  then  explained  that  seeing  the 
contest  of  1858  approaching,  Mr.  Lincoln  took  this  book, 
originally  a  blank  book  which  had  been  used  by  himself 
and  his  partner  to  keep  track  of  matters  which  concerned 
their  business  in  the  Supreme  Court,  and  proceeded  to 
paste  on  its  pages  newspaper  clippings,  tables  of  statistics, 


10 

extracts  from  Judge  Douglas's  speeches,  and  other  data 
bearing  on  the  great  and  absorbing  questions  of  the  day. 
"When  this  little  storehouse  of  political  information  was 
filled,"  observed  Herndon,  "Mr.  Lincoln  fastened  the 
clasp,  placed  the  book  in  his  coat-pocket  there  to  repose 
during  the  campaign  and  to  be  drawn  upon  whenever  the 
exigencies  of  debate  required  it." 

The  book  contained  in  the  neighborhood  of  one  hun- 
dred and  eighty-five  clippings,  and  the  paste  or  mucilage 
used  by  Lincoln  which  had  permeated  the  paper  was  so 
dark  that  it,  in  some  cases,  made  the  printed  portions 
opaque  and  almost  illegible.  Among  other  things,  Hern- 
don called  my  attention  to  the  order  or  arrangement  of 
the  material,  contending  that  it  was  not  only  significant, 
but  also  decidedly  Lincolnian.  The  first  item,  which  was 
pasted  on  the  inside  of  the  front  cover,  was  the  second  para- 
graph of  the  Declaration  of  Independence  beginning  with 
that  immortal  pronunciamento:  "We  hold  these  truths  to 
be  self-evident:  that  all  men  are  created  equal;  that  they 
are  endowed  by  their  Creator  with  certain  inalienable 
rights;  that  among  these  are  life,  liberty,  and  the  pursuit 
of  happiness." 

Lower  down  on  the  same  page  was  this  paragraph  from 
a  speech  by  Lincoln's  great  political  exemplar,  Henry 
Clay:  "I  repeat  it,  Sir,  I  never  can,  and  never  will,  and  no 
earthly  power  will  make  me  vote,  directly  or  indirectly, 
to  spread  slavery  over  territory  where  it  does  not  exist. 
Never  while  reason  holds  her  seat  in  my  brain  —  never 
while  my  heart  sends  the  vital  fluid  through  my  veins  — 
NEVER." 

Next  in  order  and  on  the  page  following  the  quotation 


The  Chicago  Titnf-s  says  the 
Independence  is  an  old 
Islied  document 
received  (he  coi 


»ti  on  of 


instrument,  atid  a  cher- 
'or  over  eighty  years  it  has 
ndation  and  applause  of  all 


r  he  has 
that  rc- 
f 1795  to 
nt  of  th,- 
the  mili- 
rring  the 
he  cases, 
nd  it  will 
leman  to 
that  the 
minority 
as?  The 


.oil  to  tin- 
ttial  State 
lit  of  the 

to  lit:  duty 

till*  MBIII'1 

IIP  United 


e  Presi- 
e  Army 


men  who  have  read  or  heard  it  read.  Since  the 
exigencies  of  tl/e  black  republican  party  has 
required  the  elevation  of  the  negro  to  political 

\eqnality  with  the  white  man,  political  doctors  of 
rtiat  party  have  undertaken  to  give  it  new  in- 
terpretations. We  propose  to  state,  first,  the 
Declaration  of  Independence  as  adopted  by  con- 
gress, in  1776,  and  then,  as  succinctly  as  possible, 
the  interpretations  placed  upon  it  by  the  demo- 
cratic and  black  republican  party.  The  second 
paragraph  hi  the  Declaration  of  Ji:deprnd«nce 
reads  as  follows: 

We  hold  these  truths  to  be  self-evident,  thai1 

fall  men  are  created  equal;  that  they  are  endow- 
ed by  their  Creator  with  certain  inalienable 

(rights;    that  am«ng  these  are  life,  liberty  ant] 

ythe  pursuit  of  hfywmcss.  That  to  secure  thesw 
rights,  governments  are  instituted  among  men, 
deriving  their  just  powers  from  the  consent  of 
the  governed;  that  whenever  any  form- of  gov- 
ernment becomes  destructive  of  these  ends,  it  is 
the  right  of  the  people  to  alter  or  to  abolish  it, 
and  to  institute  a  new  government,  laying  its 
foundation  on  such  principles,  and  organizing  its 
powers  in  such  form  as  to  tbem  shall  seem  most 
likf  ly  to  effect  their  safety  and  happiness.  Pru- 
dence, indeed,  will  dictate  that  governments  long 
established  should  net  be  changed  for  light  and 
transient  causes;  and,  accordingly,  all  experi- 
ence hath  shown,  that  mankind  are  more  din- 
posed  to  suffer,  while  evils  are  sufFerable,  than 
to  right  themselves  by  abolishing  the  forms  to 
which  they  are  accustomed.  But  when  a  long 
train  of  abuses  and  usurpations,  pursuing  in- 
variably the  same  object,  evinces  a  design  to 
reduce  them  under  absolute  despotism,  it  is  their 
right,  it  is  their  duty,  to  throw  off  such  govern- 
ment and  to  provide  Dew  guards  for  their  future 
security."' 

,   .,      .      T  fcs  shall  1" 

i  repent  it,  sir.  I  XKVKK  CAN,  AND  NEVER  \viu,,  ;  anj 

AND  XO  KAKTHf/r  I'uVVKlt  VUI.I.  MAKE  MK  VOTE,  III-  !'>',''"'. ','!'],', 
RECTLY  <JK  IMHKECTLY.TO  SIMIKIK  KI,A VKRY^orKK  ;• 't|',' V'n'^i 
"TERRITORY  \VHKRK  IT  DDKS  NOT  KXIsT.  XtfVKR.  jtia  »»'  '«<•! 
WHILE  RBASO.V  HOLDS  HKIt  BE  VT  l.V  MY  i^CAIX—  '  '"'  '"''''"* 
NKVER,  WHILE  MY  HEART  JKXD5  THE  TIT  AX,  FLUID 
TliKulUH  MY  VKIXs—  N  EVER  '.'' 


iiv;i<l«<tl,  or 
•I'jn  nation 
Jt- nt  of  the 
lihtiaofthc 
'  clangiT,  o 
re  PC  I  such 

•ff.  10  ^H 

L  proper. 
nder  that 
army  in 
clause  of 


resident  «>lf 


5  cannot  h 
itin  of  a.i> 


iploy 
tny  State 


LINCOLN  S  POCKET  SCRAPBOOK  CARRIED  DU1 


'*A  house  divided  ag'ainst  itself  can- 
not stand.  I  believe,  this  Government 
>-;j(i:ot  endure,  half  alsive  and  half  free. 
I  do  not  expect 'ho  Union  to  be  dis- 
solved; I  do  not  expect  the  house  t. ) 
i'ali:  but  !  do  expect  that  it  will  ceas" 
to  be  divided.  It  \uil  become  all  on« 
thing  or  all  the  other.7'  

'Another  View  of  the  Sanfe  Snbjwt.     ." 

Tiie  .foiinutl  of  yesterday  publish t-  •>.  >  <•*• 
(ract  from  the  WiacheSter^'AroBtcfc*-^,  wln-.-h 
that  pa;  L-r  cli:ir;)d  ,'rizes  the  ropnblicai|^*rty  as 
the  ••ron«er\ative"  party.  This  \.\i<s  Journal  veiy 

I  ,  M'lorses. 

Will   ti'p  •  •'     •  '(-noo  cxp'ftin"  whether  the 

'•vaij^ni  is  fuiiiid  in  the  fol- 

ivest  O:e 
.!         the  public 

;  .lie  bi-!ief  that  ii  iij  in  course  of 

:ite  extinction,  or  its  advocates  will  puHi  it. 

forward  uniil  i'  si  nil  tocojnc  nlike  .lawful  in  all 

t!ie  states,  old  as  well    as       u;  north  as  well  as 

The  italics  are  Mr.  Lincoln's. 

Hy  "ojyonenu''  of  slavery  Mr.  Lincoln  evide»t- 
1;.- relVrs  to  the  republican  j>urt\.  The  republi- 
can puny,  according  to  Mr.  Lincol™pjmin  :in\.-i 
""spread  of  slavery  and  place  it  where  thgfiiblic- 
mind  shall  rest  in  the  belief  that  it  is  in  course  of 
ultimate  fz.inction."  What  is  meant  by  "extinc- 
tion?" What  i-  the  difference  between  extinction 
and  abolition? 

The  republican  party,  according  to  Mr.  Lincoln, 
have  two  objects : 

1st— To  arrest  the  further  spread  of  slavery. 

2d — Its  ultimate  extinction  or  abolition* 

Will  the  Journal  show  the  ",pqnservatism,r  of 

js  position  ? 


3  THE  CAMPAIGN  OF  I  8  ^8  AGAINST  DOUGLAS 


THE  DOUGLAS  NOTEBOOK  11 

from  the  Clay  speech,  Lincoln  had  inserted  a  portion 
of  the  opening  paragraph  of  his  famous  speech  delivered 
before  the  Republican  State  Convention  which  met  in 
Springfield  and  nominated  him  as  their  candidate  for 
United  States  Senator,  June  16, 1858.  It  was  in  this  speech 
he  gave  utterance  to  the  doctrine  that,  so  long  as  the  slav- 
ery agitation  was  allowed  to  continue,  this  nation  like 
"A  house  divided  against  itself  cannot  stand." 

Part  of  this  clipping  included  the  comments  of  the  lo- 
cal papers  on  the  speech,  but  Lincoln  chose  the  editorial 
notice,  not  of  his  own  party's  organ,  the  "Springfield 
Journal,"  but  that  of  the  "State  Register,"  the  opposition 
paper.  He  noted  the  date  of  its  publication  on  the  margin 
with  pen  and  ink,  and  it  doubtless  served  as  a  text  for 
certain  of  his  arguments  during  the  campaign.  With  one 
exception  the  remaining  portion  of  the  material  in  the 
book  is  not  especially  noteworthy.  That  exception  is  an 
extract  from  an  editorial  printed  in  an  Alabama  news- 
paper—  the  "Muscogee  Herald."  It  doubtless  made 
something  of  an  impression  on  Lincoln,  for  he  had  taken 
the  precaution  to  record  on  the  margin  of  the  page  the 
date  of  its  appearance  in  the  paper:  August  7,  1856.  It 
read  as  follows: 

Free  society !  We  sicken  of  the  name.  When  it  is  but  a  con- 
glomeration of  greasy  mechanics,  filthy  operatives,  small-fisted 
farmers,  and  moon-struck  theorists.  All  the  Northern  and  es- 
pecially the  New  England  States  are  devoid  of  society  fitted  for 
well-bred  gentlemen.  The  prevailing  class  one  meets  with  is 
that  of  mechanics  struggling  to  be  genteel  and  small  farmers 
who  do  their  own  drudgery,  and  yet  who  are  hardly  fit  for  asso- 
ciation with  a  Southern  gentleman's  body  servant.  This  is  your 
free  society  which  your  Northern  hordes  are  endeavoring  to 
extend  into  Kansas. 


ii  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

Mr.  Herndon  smiled  when  he  encountered  this  rank 
specimen  of  Southern  journalistic  expression.  "Imagine 
the  satisfaction,"  he  exclaimed,  "with  which  Mr.  Lincoln, 
when  he  was  addressing  a  crowd  of  greasy  mechanics  and 
small-fisted  farmers  who  had  emigrated  from  Ohio,  Penn- 
sylvania, and  New  York  in  quest  of  cheap  homes,  must 
have  read  this  vivid  and  satirical  allusion  to  the  free  so- 
ciety of  the  North.  No  wonder  Douglas  winced  and  threat- 
ened vengeance  when  he  could  get  Lincoln  'down  into 
Egypt*  —  in  other  words,  southern  Illinois." 


CHAPTER  II 

Lincoln's  birth  in  Kentucky  —  Visiting  his  birthplace  —  Some  of  his  early 
playmates  —  Interviewing  Austin  Gollaher  and  others  at  Hodgenville  and 
Elizabethtown  —  Dr.  Rodman's  visit  to  Washington  —  Recollections  of  the 
artist  Rowbotham  —  The  removal  to  Indiana  —  Lincoln's  schooling  there  — 
Incidents  of  his  boyhood  —  Association  with  Dennis  Hanks  —  Cutting  wood  at 
Posey's  Landing  —  Letters  of  Dennis  Hanks  to  Herndon. 

OF  his  life  in  Kentucky  Lincoln  usually  had  but  little  to 
say;  presumably,  of  course,  because  there  was  so  little 
of  it.  Before  he  reached  his  ninth  year  his  family  had 
moved  to  Indiana,  and  although,  in  later  years,  he  visited 
Louisville,  Lexington,  and  possibly  Frankfort,  there  is  no 
evidence  that  he  ever  saw  his  birthplace  or  the  scenes  of 
his  childhood  in  Kentucky  again.  When  his  nomination 
for  President  by  the  Chicago  Convention  in  1860  gave 
him  national  prominence,  almost  forty-five  years  had 
elapsed  since  his  departure  from  Kentucky,  and  it  is,  there- 
fore, not  surprising  that  many  of  the  people  in  the  region 
where  he  was  born  were  at  a  loss  to  determine  who  he  was 
or  whence  he  sprang;  nor,  during  the  few  remaining  years 
of  his  life,  was  the  question  of  his  exact  identity  and  family 
descent,  in  the  minds  of  some  of  these  people,  entirely  free 
from  obscurity  and  doubt. 

For  what  we  really  know  about  Lincoln's  birth  and 
boyhood  in  Kentucky  we  owe  more  to  the  foresight  and 
persistence  of  William  H.  Herndon  than  to  any  one  else. 
Scarcely  a  month  had  elapsed  after  the  tragedy  at 
Ford's  Theater,  in  April,  1865,  before  Herndon  had  set 
out  for  Kentucky  and  southern  Indiana  and  begun  an  in- 
vestigation so  vigorous,  conscientious,  and  exhaustive  that 


I4  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

the  world  will  always  be  deeply  in  his  debt.  He  was  the 
first  man  on  the  ground  and  likewise  the  first  man  to  meet 
and  examine  the  few  material  and  competent  witnesses 
of  Lincoln's  advent  into  the  world  still  living.  He  pur- 
sued his  researches  with  rare  vigilance  and  assiduity,  toil- 
ing incessantly;  nor  did  he  cease  his  labors  until  he  had  dug 
to  the  very  bottom  in  his  search  for  the  truth.  Later,  in 
compliance  with  his  generous  suggestion,  I  followed  him, 
traversing  the  same  path  and  visiting  the  same  localities; 
and  although  I  labored  to  the  limit  of  my  zeal  and  en- 
durance I  was  never  conscious  of  having  added  materially 
to  the  store  of  information  he  had  already  accumulated; 
nor  of  encountering  anything  of  a  valuable  or  interesting 
character  which  he  had  not  unearthed  himself.  The  truth 
is  the  field  was  so  barren  of  material  neither  of  us  could 
gather  much  that  was  significant  or  trustworthy;  but  we 
consoled  ourselves  with  the  reflection  that  we  had,  to  the 
point  of  exhaustion,  explored  every  avenue  that  led  to 
accurate  or  intelligent  information. 

Only  four  persons  could  be  found  who  really  knew 
and  remembered  Lincoln  in  Kentucky.  One  was  Austin 
Gollaher,  who  was  still  living  when  I  visited  Larue  County, 
and  who  seemed  to  have  retained  a  more  or  less  vivid  recol- 
lection of  his  early  playmate;  but  he  was  then  well  ad- 
vanced in  years  and  had  already  begun  to  view  the  past 
through  the  rosy  mist  of  an  old  man's  memory.  About  the 
only  noteworthy  thing  he  appeared  to  be  able  to  recall  was 
the  published  incident  of  his  rescue  of  the  boy  Lincoln 
from  the  waters  of  Knob  Creek  into  which  he  had  fallen 
while  trying  to  "coon"  across  that  stream  on  a  log.  An- 
other man  —  one  met  by  Herndon  —  who  knew  Lincoln 


KENTUCKY  RECOLLECTIONS  15 

in  Kentucky  was  John  Duncan,  a  Baptist  preacher,  at  that 
time  in  charge  of  Little  Mount  Church,  the  same  church 
to  which  Thomas  and  Nancy  Lincoln  had  belonged.  One 
of  the  adventures  in  which  both  he  and  young  Abe  had 
leading  parts  —  and  I  copy  from  the  account  in  Duncan's 
handwriting,  furnished  to  Herndon  in  1865  and  now  in 
my  hands  —  was  this: 

"Abe  was  very  determined  in  pursuit  of  game,  as  an  in- 
stance which  I  now  recall  will  prove.  He  and  I  one  day  ran 
a  ground-hog  into  a  hole  in  the  rocks.  We  worked  a  long 
time  in  an  effort  to  get  him  out,  but  I  finally  became  tired 
and  gave  up.  Lincoln,  however,  ran  to  a  blacksmith  shop 
not  far  away  and  got  the  blacksmith  to  make  a  hook  and 
fasten  it  to  the  end  of  a  pole.  The  man  came  back  with 
Abe  and  together  they  finally  hooked  the  animal  out  of 
the  hole." 

Two  other  intelligent  and  dependable  witnesses  in  Ken- 
tucky were  interviewed  by  Herndon,  both  of  whose  state- 
ments or  recollections  in  their  own  handwriting,  turned 
over  to  Herndon  in  the  summer  of  1865,  are  st^l  preserved. 
They  were  Presley  Haycraft  and  John  B.  Helm.  The  first 
named,  who  was  a  brother  of  Samuel  Haycraft,  clerk  of 
Hardin  County,  was  a  copyist  in  the  latter's  office.  He  was 
older  than  Lincoln  and  claimed  to  remember  him  well.  He 
described  him  as  a  little  "shirt-tail  boy"  in  Elizabethtown 
who  could  be  seen  about  the  court-house  and  stores  clinging 
closely  to  his  mother's  skirt.  The  fourth  witness  was  John 
B.  Helm  who  was  a  clerk  or  helper  in  his  uncle's  store,  also 
in  Elizabethtown,  and  who  probably  knew  the  Lincoln 
and  Hanks  families  better  than  almost  any  other  man 
in  the  village  whom  Herndon  encountered.  He  describes 


i6  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

young  Abe  as  "a  small  boy  who  would  sometimes  come 
with  his  mother  to  the  store  to  purchase  their  stock  of 
family  supplies.  The  little  fellow,  being  a  trifle  shy,  would 
frequently  be  seen  sitting  on  a  box  or  keg,  and  I  have  often 
dropped  into  his  half-reluctant  palm  a  lump  of  sugar  which 
he  would  dispose  of  with  as  much  relish  as  any  other  boy." 
Though  Lincoln  in  subsequent  years  failed  to  visit  his 
birthplace,  it  does  not  follow  that  he  forgot  or  viewed  it 
with  indifference;  on  the  contrary,  he  retained  and  was 
prone  to  relate  many  interesting  recollections  of  his  asso- 
ciations there.  From  Dr.  Jesse  H.  Rodman,  of  Hodgen- 
ville,  who  in  1865  represented  Larue  County  in  the  legis- 
lature of  Kentucky,  I  learned  several  characteristic  and 
trustworthy  incidents.  During  the  war  period  a  number  of 
the  leading  citizens  of  Larue  County,  desirous  of  securing 
some  concession  or  relief  from  a  threatened  draft  on  that 
county,  held  a  meeting  at  Hodgenville  and  decided  to  send 
Dr.  Rodman  to  Washington  to  call  on  the  President  and 
intercede  with  him  in  their  behalf.  Inasmuch  as  the  appeal 
came  from  his  native  county,  Lincoln,  it  was  believed, 
might  be  moved  to  grant  the  desired  relief.  Meanwhile  one 
of  the  President's  friends  went  down  to  the  farm  on  which 
he  was  born  and  cut  from  a  tree  growing  there  a  limb  or 
branch  of  the  size  required  for  a  cane.  This,  together  with 
a  sum  of  money  contributed  by  several  persons  about  the 
court-house,  was  turned  over  to  Dr.  Rodman  with  direc- 
tions, when  he  reached  Washington,  to  have  it  mounted 
with  a  gold  or  silver  head  containing  the  names  of  the 
contributors  engraved  thereon.  The  whole  was  then  to 
be  presented  to  Lincoln.  "Immediately  on  my  arrival  in 
Washington,"  related  Dr.  Rodman,  "I  called  on  the  Pres- 


DR.  RODMAN'S  VISIT  TO  WASHINGTON    17 

ident  and,  after  announcing  the  purpose  of  my  visit  as  a 
representative  of  my  fellow  citizens  in  Larue  County,  ven- 
tured to  tell  him  also  the  story  of  the  cane,  explaining  that 
I  had  left  the  latter  with  a  silversmith  in  the  city  to  be 
mounted  and  properly  engraved.  The  next  day  I  called 
with  the  cane,  to  make  the  formal  presentation.  Lincoln 
seemed  to  be  deeply  pleased  by  this  mark  of  apprecia- 
tion on  the  part  of  his  Kentucky  friends  and  immediately 
asked  how  he  was  to  learn  who  the  donors  of  the  cane  were. 
Before  I  could  answer  that  he  would  find  their  names  on 
the  metal  head,  he  interrupted  me,  exclaiming  laughingly, 
'How  absurd  such  a  question.  I  ought  to  have  known 
better  than  to  ask  it,  for  you  have  already  answered  it.  I 
am  like  the  Irishman  who  called  on  me  when  I  was  post- 
master at  New  Salem,  Illinois,  and  asked  for  his  mail. 
"'What  name? 'said  I. 

" '  Sure/  said  the  Irishman,  'and  the  name  is  on  the  letter.' 
"The  President,"  continued  Dr.  Rodman,  "ran  over  the 
list  of  early  residents  of  the  county,  inquiring  about  the 
Brownfields,  the  Cesnas,  the  Friends,  and  other  pioneer 
families,  displaying  a  knowledge  of  persons  and  places  more 
or  less  remarkable  for  one  who,  for  so  many  years,  had  been 
away  from  his  native  heath.  When  I  reached  the  name  of 
Austin  Gollaher  he  halted  me.  'Is  that  old  fox  living  yet?' 
he  exclaimed.  '  You  may  not  believe  it,  but  I  would  rather 
see  him  than  any  other  man  in  Kentucky.  Be  sure  to  re- 
member me  to  him  when  you  reach  home.  I  shall  never 
forget  an  amusing  but  very  scurvy  trick  he  once  played  on 
me  when  we  were  boys.  With  weapons  no  more  formidable 
than  hickory  clubs  he  and  I  had  been  playing  in  the  woods 
and  hunting  rabbits.  After  several  hours  of  vigorous  ex- 


1 8  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

ercise  we  had  stopped  to  rest.  After  a  while  I  threw  down 
my  cap,  climbed  a  tree,  and  was  resting  comfortably  in 
the  forks  of  two  limbs.  Below  me  stretched  out  full  length 
on  the  grass  was  Austin  apparently  asleep.  Beside  him  lay 
his  cap,  the  inside  facing  upwards.  In  the  pocket  of  my 
little  jacket  reposed  a  paw-paw  which  I  had  shortly  before 
found.  The  thought  suddenly  occurred  to  me  that  it  would 
be  great  fun  to  drop  it  into  Austin's  upturned  cap.  It  was 
so  ripe  and  soft  I  could  scarcely  withdraw  it  whole  from  my 
pocket.  Taking  careful  aim  I  let  it  fall.  I  had  calculated 
just  right;  for  it  struck  the  cap  center  and  I  could  see  por- 
tions of  soft  yellow  paw-paw  spattering  in  every  direction. 
I  paused  to  observe  the  result,  convinced  that  Austin 
would  resent  the  indignity;  but,  strange  to  relate,  the  pro- 
ceeding failed  to  arouse  him.  Presently  I  slid  down  the  tree, 
but  judge  of  my  surprise  on  reaching  the  ground  when  I 
learned  that,  instead  of  sleeping,  Austin  had  really  been 
awake;  and  that  while  I  was  climbing  the  tree  he  had  very 
adroitly  changed  caps,  substituting  my  own  for  his,  so 
that,  instead  of  tormenting  him  as  I  was  intending,  I  had 
simply  besmeared  my  own  headgear.' " 

Elsewhere  I  have  indicated  that  Herndon  was  the 
first  visitor  to  Kentucky  or  southern  Indiana  in  quest  of 
intelligence  or  facts  bearing  on  the  events  of  Lincoln's 
early  life.  So  far  as  it  related  to  the  collection  of  the  requi- 
site historical  material,  that  statement  is  correct;  but  that 
Herndon  was  preceded  a  few  weeks  by  a  man  whose 
mission,  though  nominally  different,  was  along  similar 
lines  is  also  true.  Joseph  H.  Barrett,  who  during  the  Civil 
War  period  was  Commissioner  of  Pensions  in  Washington, 
had  for  some  time  been  at  work  on  a  "Life  of  Lincoln" 


ROWBOTHAM'S  RECOLLECTIONS          19 

which  was  published  in  the  summer  of  1865.  In  the  earlier 
part  of  the  year  his  publishers,  Moore,  Wilstach  &  Bald- 
win, of  Cincinnati,  had  sent  to  Kentucky  and  Indiana  an 
artist,  in  the  person  of  John  H.  Rowbotham,  commissioned 
to  make  pictures  of  important  places  and  scenes  in  the 
early  life  of  Lincoln  to  be  engraved  and  used  in  illustrating 
the  book.  He  was,  in  reality,  the  first  man  to  penetrate 
the  backwoods  of  Kentucky  and  Indiana  in  search  of 
Lincoln  data  and  material.  Rowbotham  began  his  travels 
at  Springfield,  after  first  conferring  with  Herndon.  As  he 
made  his  way  through  the  territory  assigned  him  he  re- 
ported to  Herndon,  detailing  his  experiences  frequently 
from  day  to  day.  Having  been  told  that  the  original  log 
cabin  in  which  Lincoln  was  born  was  still  standing  near  the 
town  of  Hodgenville,  he  made  his  way  there  as  speedily  as 
possible  "fearing  lest  the  structure  might  be  burned,  or 
carried  away  piecemeal,  by  the  army  of  relic  hunters  who 
would  soon  be  moving  in  that  direction."  When  he  arrived 
there,  however,  he  found,  much  to  his  surprise,  that  the 
cabin  was  no  longer  in  existence.  When  it  disappeared  no 
one  seemed  to  be  able  to  tell. 

"At  Hodgenville,  which  is  about  ten  miles  northeast  of 
Elizabethtown,"  writes  Rowbotham  to  Herndon  June  24, 
1865,  "I  inquired  the  way  to  Rock  Spring  farm,  owned  by 
R.  A.  Creal,  better  known  as  'Old  Dickey  Creal.'  The  farm 
is  about  three  miles  southeast  of  Hodgenville  on  a  good 
straight  road.  The  site  of  Mr.  Lincoln's  birthplace  is  on 
this  farm  about  five  hundred  yards  from  Mr.  Creal's  house. 
It  is  situated  on  a  knoll  or  rising  ground  and  is  now  a  bar- 
ley field.  The  cabin  has  long  since  disappeared  and  gone  to 
decay,  the  only  sign  of  its  former  existence  being  a  few  rocks 


20  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

indicating  where  the  chimney  once  stood.  At  the  edge  of 
the  field  are  two  old  pear  trees  planted  by  Thomas  Lin- 
coln between  which  was  a  gateway  leading  to  the  house. 
Mr.  Creal  remembers  the  latter  very  well.  Near  the  spot 
is  a  very  romantic  spring  from  which  the  farm  takes  its 
name  and  where,  no  doubt,  Mr.  Lincoln  as  a  child  often 
played." 

While  in  Indiana  Rowbotham  visited  Lincoln's  home 
in  Spencer  County.  "The  home,"  he  writes  in  another 
letter  to  Herndon,  "lies  a  little  off  the  Gentryville  road 
on  rising  ground  and  is  the  most  perfect  reminiscence  of 
Mr.  Lincoln's  early  life.  Here  the  family  lived  thirteen 
years.  Mr.  Lincoln's  mother  died  here  and  is  buried 
on  the  summit  of  a  thickly  wooded  hill  about  a  quarter  of 
a  mile  from  and  immediately  opposite  the  house.  There 
is  no  stone  to  mark  the  spot,  but  it  is  well  known.  When 
you  come,  inquire  for  Josiah  Crawford,  John  Romine,  and 
old  Mrs.  Richardson,  all  of  wffom  were  at  the  burial  of 
Mrs.  Lincoln.  Dennis  Hanks  was  also  present,  but  he  is 
now  in  Illinois  and  you  can  see  him  yourself."  There  be- 
ing, at  that  time,  no  stone,  not  even  a  board  to  mark  the 
grave,  Rowbotham  was  forced  to  the  conclusion,  expressed 
in  one  of  his  letters  to  Herndon,  that  "  Mr.  Lincoln  does 
not  appear  to  have  cared  for  his  home  after  the  death  of 
his  mother." 

Before  young  Lincoln  had  reached  his  tenth  year  his 
family  moved  to  Indiana,  and  here,  where  they  lingered  till 
he  had  attained  his  majority,  were  the  days  of  his  wonder- 
ful boyhood  spent.  Here  gathered  those  silent  forces  whose 
combination  produced  that  unique  character  which  stands 


REMOVAL  TO  INDIANA  21 

out  in  wonder  and  lofty  eminence,  one  of  the  colossal 
figures  of  modern  history.  It  was  these  earlier  years  of 
his  life  that  had  their  lasting  effect  on  the  mind  and  tem- 
perament of  this  great  mirthful  but  melancholy  man. 

The  date  of  the  removal  from  Kentucky  to  Indiana  is 
readily  fixed  by  the  statement  of  Mr.  Lincoln  in  the  sketch 
of  his  life  which  he  wrote  and  delivered  to  his  friend  Jesse 
W.  Fell,  of  Bloomington,  Illinois,  in  1859.  "We  reached 
our  new  home,"  he  relates,  "about  the  time  the  State 
came  into  the  Union" — which  would  indicate  the  years 
1816  to  1817.  After  describing  the  country  as  a  "wild 
region  with  many  bears  and  other  wild  animals  still  in  the 
woods,"  he  turns  to  the  educational  facilities  of  the  period, 
observing  that  "  there  were  some  schools,  so  called,  but 
no  qualification  was  ever  required  of  a  teacher  beyond 
'readin',  writin',  and  cipherin*  to  the  Rule  of  Three.'  If 
a  straggler  supposed  to  understand  Latin  happened  to  so- 
journ in  the  neighborhood  he  was  looked  upon  as  a  wizard. 
There  was  absolutely  nothing  to  excite  ambition  for  edu- 
cation. Of  course  when  I  came  of  age  I  did  not  know  much. 
Still,  somehow,  I  could  read,  write  and  cipher  to  the  Rule 
of  Three;  but  that  was  all.  I  have  not  been  to  school  since. 
The  little  advance  I  now  have  upon  this  store  of  education 
I  have  picked  up  from  time  to  time  under  the  pressure  of 
necessity." 

The  years  of  his  residence  in  Indiana  Lincoln  never 
failed  to  recall  save  with  the  deepest  satisfaction.  They 
were' indeed  the  formative  period  of  his  life  and  therefore 
constitute  an  important  epoch  in  his  development.  There 
was  a  fascination  in  the  rude  companionship  and  boister- 
ous horse-play  of  southern  Indiana  at  that  time  which  left 


22  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

a  deep  impression  on  the  tall,  coarse-haired  youth  who 
grew  to  manhood  in  the  hills  and  forests  of  this  frontier 
region.  When  he  neared  the  fame  of  later  years  he  invari- 
ably located  his  best  stories  in  the  Hoosier  State,  and  when- 
ever he  was  heard  to  say,  "That  reminds  me  of  an  incident 
which  happened  when  I  lived  in  Indiana,"  his  listeners 
would  move  their  chairs  closer  together  anxiously  awaiting 
an  interesting  recital,  bristling  with  wit  and  the  expected 
"nib,"  or  moral,  which  was  so  poignant  it  pierced  the  skin, 
or  otherwise  so  effective  it  stung  like  the  cracker  of  a  whip- 
lash. 

Though  brief,  Lincoln's  school  training  really  began  in 
Indiana.  True  he  was  among  the  pupils  at  the  schools 
in  Kentucky  taught  by  Zachariah  Riney  and  Caleb  Hazel, 
but  his  attendance  was  so  short  and  irregular  he  hardly 
progressed  beyond  the  alphabet  —  in  fact,  it  may  be  truth- 
fully said  that  he  went  largely  as  the  companion  of  his 
only  sister  Sarah,  who  was  two  years  his  senior.  The 
array  of  textbooks  at  his  command  was  necessarily  limited. 
We  know  he  studied  Webster's  and,  a  part  of  the  time, 
Dillworth's  Speller,  Pike's  Arithmetic,  and  Murray's  Eng- 
lish Reader.  Of  the  last-named  book  he  was  especially 
fond.  Herndon  told  me  that  Lincoln  once  declared  to 
him  that  "  Murray's  English  Reader  was  the  greatest  and 
most  useful  book  that  could  be  put  in  the  hands  of  a  child 
at  school." 

He  had  neither  grammar  nor  geography.  The  arith- 
metic he  did  not  own,  but  he  borrowed  the  book  of  a  neigh- 
bor and  laboriously  copied  a  large  part  of  it  on  sheets  of 
paper  about  nine  by  twelve  inches  in  size  which  he  fastened 
together  with  twine  sewed  through  the  edge.  His  step- 


PAGE  FROM  LINCOLN  S  HAND-MADE  ARITHMETIC,  USED  BY 

HIM  WHILE  A  SCHOOLBOY  IN  GENTRYVILLE,  INDIANA. 

SHOWING  DOGGEREL  IN  CORNER 


SCHOOLING  IN  INDIANA  23 

mother  who,  in  1865,  was  living  at  Charleston,  Illinois, 
still  had  a  portion  of  this  hand-made  book  which  she  gave 
to  Herndon.  The  latter  turned  several  pages  over  to  me, 
one  of  which  contains  the  table  of  Long  Measure  with  its 
quaint  and  primitive  divisions  of  measurement: 

"  Three  barley-corns  make  one  inch, 
Four  inches  one  hand,"  etc. 

It  was  in  one  of  the  lower  corners  of  this  sheet  that  young 
Abe  had  scrawled  the  four  memorable  lines  of  schoolboy 

doggerel: 

0  Abraham  Lincoln, 
His  hand  and  pen, 
He  will  be  good, 
But  God  knows  when." 

In  some  unaccountable  way  the  young  student  secured  a 
copy  of  Barclay's  Dictionary  which  he  doubtless  frequently 
consulted,  for  when  Herndon  visited  the  stepmother  the 
latter  still  had  the  volume  with  young  Abe's  name,  in 
his  own  hand,  written  on  the  fly-leaf.  At  two  places  in  the 
neighborhood  where  he  lived  in  Indiana,  the  stepmother 
told  Herndon,  the  boy  was  given  access  to  books  of  a 
more  literary  character  and  he  was  occasionally  permitted 
to  take  a  volume  home  with  him  to  read.  This  was  at 
Josiah  Crawford's  and  David  Turnham's.  From  the  first 
he  obtained  "The  Kentucky  Preceptor,"  out  of  which  he 
learned  the  various  poems  and  declamations  he  memo- 
rized and  occasionally  recited  at  school.  At  Turnham's 
there  were  two  books  to  which  he  was  especially  attached 
and  he  read  and  re-read  them.  They  were  "Sinbad  the 
Sailor"  and  "Scott's  Lessons."  These  and  the  Revised 
Statutes  of  Indiana,  which  Turnham  used  in  connection 
with  the  office  of  township  constable,  and  which  volume 


24  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

the  latter  turned  over  to  Herndon  in  1865,  will  indicate 
the  probable  scope  of  Lincoln's  scholastic  ventures  up 
to  this  time. 

With  these  primitive  and  unpretentious  literary  ap- 
pliances Lincoln  slowly  acquired  the  rudiments  of  his 
education.  All  his  school-days  added  together  did  not 
equal  a  year,  and  he  not  only  was  not  privileged  to  attend 
a  high  or  advanced  school,  but,  until  he  was  old  enough 
to  go  to  Congress,  had  never  seen  the  inside  of  a  college, 
academy,  or  high-school  building.  As  Herndon  very  per- 
tinently observed,  it  awakens  the  tenderest  emotions  to 
recall  the  story  of  this  obscure  but  ambitious  boy  battling 
year  after  year  against  his  evil  star,  wasting  his  ingenuity 
upon  makeshifts  and  devices  in  a  struggle  to  secure  a  train- 
ing which  to-day  is  not  only  easily  within  reach  of  the  poor- 
est and  most  indifferent  lad  in  the  land,  but,  under  our 
generous  educational  system,  is  furnished  to  all  without 
stint  or  reluctance. 

The  commonly  accepted  notion  that  Lincoln,  espe- 
cially during  his  sojourn  in  Indiana,  was  what  would  be 
called  an  intensive  or  industrious  young  man  lacks  more 
or  less  support.  The  truth  is  he  had  no  fondness  for  the 
severe  labor  of  the  backwoods  and  no  scruples  against 
avoiding  it  whenever  possible.  Equally  erroneous  is  the 
prevalent  belief  that  he  spent  a  large  proportion  of  his  time 
as  a  hired  hand  working  for  others.  Service  of  that  kind 
had  no  charms  for  him,  and  while  it  is  true  he  occasionally 
labored  for  wages  the  instances  were  rare  and  invariably  of 
brief  duration.  He  was  not  much  given  to  fishing,  hunting, 
or  sports  generally,  but  much  preferred  reading  and  like 
diversions.  He  was  an  eager  listener  to  debates  and  other 


ASSOCIATION  WITH  DENNIS  HANKS       25 

wordy  contests;  was  delighted  with  the  arguments  and 
contention  evoked  by'a  neighborhood  controversy,  and  if 
a  dispute  was  being  aired  in  the  squire's  court  he  was  cer- 
tain to  be  on  hand  an  earnest  and  absorbed  listener. 

Dilating  on  Lincoln's  reputation  as  a  physical  laborer 
serves  to  recall  an  interview  I  had  with  Dennis  Hanks. 
It  was  at  Charleston,  Illinois,  where  he  was  living  in  the 
fall  of  1886.  I  write  from  notes  of  the  conversation  written 
at  the  time. 

In  August,  1826,  Abe,  Dennis  Hanks,  and  Squire  Hall  — 
the  last  two  having  married  daughters  of  Abe's  stepmother, 
Sarah  Bush  Lincoln  —  all  set  out  for  Posey's  Landing  on 
the  Ohio  River,  distant  twelve  miles  from  their  homes  at 
Gentryville,  Indiana,  to  cut  wood,  it  being  reported  that 
there  was  a  brisk  demand  for  that  kind  of  fuel  by  the  boats 
plying  up  and  down  the  river.  When  they  arrived  they 
learned  that  the  demand  for  wood  had  slackened  materially 
and  that,  if  they  succeeded  in  securing  an  order  for  any, 
they  would  probably  have  to  take  their  pay  in  merchandise, 
as  there  was  then  but  a  scant  supply  of  cash  in  the  com- 
munity. How  many  days  they  tarried  there  Hanks  did  not 
indicate,  but  it  was  long  enough  to  cut  nine  cords  for  which 
they  were  given  nine  yards  of  white  domestic  at  twenty- 
five  cents  a  yard.  "Out  of  this,"  related  Hanks,  "Abe  had 
a  shirt  made,  and  it  was  positively  the  first  white  shirt 
which,  up  to  that  time,  he  had  ever  owned  or  worn.  It  was 
also  the  first  time  he  had  ever  hired  out  and  worked  away 
from  home." 

When  he  visited  Indiana,  Herndon  learned  that  in 
1827  Lincoln  and  his  stepbrother,  John  D.  Johnston, 
journeyed  together  to  Louisville  where  they  secured  work 


26  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

for  a  brief  time  on  the  Portland  Canal,  then  in  process  of 
construction  around  the  falls  of  the  Ohio.  They  were  paid 
in  silver  dollars,  probably  the  first  silver  money  of  any  con- 
sequence Abe  ever  received.  Naturally  he  was  very  proud 
of  it  and  by  virtue  of  frugal  expenditures  and  determined 
self-denial  managed  to  carry  a  goodly  portion  of  it  home 
with  him  when  he  returned  to  Gentryville. 

Regarding  the  history  of  Mr.  Lincoln's  days  while  he 
lived  in  Indiana,  including  glimpses  into  the  social  con- 
ditions which  prevailed  there  and  thus  had  such  a  decided 
influence  on  his  development  into  manhood,  too  much 
weight  cannot  be  attached  to  the  recollections  of  Dennis 
and  John  Hanks.  Nor  should  the  activities  of  Herndon 
in  thus  preserving  their  testimony  be  overlooked.  Lincoln 
had  hardly  met  his  death  in  1 865  until  Herndon  was  at  work 
securing  from  both  men  all  the  information  he  could  ex- 
tract which  tended  to  shed  any  light  on  the  former's  birth 
and  boyhood.  His  method  in  dealing  with  Dennis  was  both 
systematic  and  effective.  In  addition  to  what  the  latter 
told  him  and  which  he  carefully  recorded  at  the  time,  Hern- 
don induced  him  to  put  his  testimony  in  writing  also;  but 
in  order  to  keep  him  within  certain  limits  and  yet  retain 
only  so  much  as  was  essential  to  the  continuity  of  the  story, 
Herndon  put  his  inquiry  in  the  form  of  questions  which  he 
numbered,  directing  Dennis  to  number  his  answers  also. 
There  are  many  pages  of  these  letters  or  statements,  most 
of  them  dated  and  all  of  which  were  duly  turned  over  to  me. 
Knowing  that  I  had  spent  more  or  less  time  with  and  had 
myself  interviewed  Dennis,  Herndon  seemed  to  think 
I  was  the  proper  depositary  of  the  material  both  of  us 
had  gathered.  These  papers  of  Dennis,  though  written  in 


LETTERS  OF  DENNIS  HANKS  27 

defiance  of  the  rules  of  grammar,  capitalization,  spelling, 
etc.,  are  nevertheless  of  decided  historic  value.  One  dated 
December  24,  1865,  ^s  so  characteristic  and  faithful  a  por- 
trayal of  life  in  Indiana  when  Lincoln  lived  there,  I  venture 
to  reproduce  it  exactly  as  Dennis  Hanks  drew  it,  observing 
incidentally,  that  of  the  thirteen  persons  who  formed  the 
emigrant  party  that  drove  from  Gentryville,  Indiana,  to 
Decatur,  Illinois,  in  March,  1830,  only  two  could  write 
their  names:  Abraham  Lincoln  and  Dennis  Hanks: 

December  24  1865. 

you  speak  of  my  Letter  written  with  a  pencil,  the  Reason  of 
this  was  my  Ink  was  frose. 

part  first,  we  ust  to  play  4  Corner  Bull  pen  and  what  we  cald 
cat.  I  No  that  you  No  what  it  is  and  throwing  a  mall  over  our 
Sholders  Backwards,  hopping  and  half  hamen,  Resling  and  so  on. 

and  what  Religious  Songs.  The  only  Song  Book  was  Dupees 
old  Song  Book.  I  Recollect  Very  well  2  Songs  that  we  ust  to> 
Sing,  that  was 

"O,  when  shall  I  see  jesus  and  Rain  with  him  aBove."  the 
next  was  "How  teageous  and  tasteless  the  hour  when  jesus  No- 
Longer  I  see." 

I  have  tried  to  find  one  of  these  Books  But  cant  find  it.  it  was- 
a  Book  used  by  the  old  predestinarian  Baptists  in  1820.  this  is, 
my  Recollection  aBout  it  at  this  time,  we  Never  had  any  other 

the  Next  was  in  the  fields 

"Hail  Collumbia  Happy  Land  if  you  aint  Broke  I  will  Be 
Damned"  and  "the  turpen  turk  that  Scorns  the  world  and 
Struts  aBout  with  his  whiskers  Curld  for  No  other  man  But 
himself  to  See"  and  all  such  as  this.  Abe  youst  to  try  to  Sing 
pore  old  Ned  But  he  Never  could  Sing  Much. 


CHAPTER  III 

The  question  of  Lincoln's  birth  and  descent — The  various  books  on  the  sub- 
ject—  Investigations  by  Herndon  and  the  author  in  Kentucky  and  elsewhere 

—  The  Enloe  tradition  —  The  Lincoln  family  Bible  record  —  Sarah  Lincoln  — 
The  John  L.  Scripps  incident  —  Herndon 's  story  of  his  ride  with  Lincoln  to 
Petersburg  —  Dennis  and  John  Hanks,  who  they  were  and  whence  they  sprang 

—  Their  letters  to  Herndon  regarding  the  Lincoln  family  tree. 

To  what  extent  the  knowledge  of  his  lowly  if  not  obscure 
origin  contributed  to  the  pensive  and  melancholy  tend- 
ency in  Lincoln's  nature  is  a  question  not  easily  an- 
swered; but  certain  it  is  that  much  of  the  curious  and  ab- 
surd speculation  regarding  his  genealogy,  which  has  grown 
up  in  the  popular  mind,  is  largely  due  to  his  vague  and 
evasive  attitude  when  confronted  by  inquiries  regarding 
his  lineage  or  family  history.  In  most  instances  the  sub- 
ject has  been  overlooked  or  glossed  over  by  Lincoln's  nu- 
merous biographers,  but  now  that  he  has  attained  such 
enviable  proportions  among  the  other  great  figures  in  the 
temple  of  fame,  and  is  therefore  beyond  "our  power  to 
add  or  detract,"  the  feeling,  gradually  developed  in  the 
popular  mind,  that  the  truth  should  be  known,  cannot 
always  be.  ignored.  Nor  can  a  portrait  of  the  real  Lincoln 
be  deemed  complete  or  exact  which  in  any  appreciable 
degree  fails  to  bring  out  all  the  facts.  The  reading  public 
has  just  been  favored  with  "The  Paternity  of  Abraham 
Lincoln,"  a  book  written  by  Dr.  William  E.  Barton,  who 
has  for  some  time  been  a  student  of  the  subject  mentioned 
in  the  tide.  It  is  a  careful  and  exhaustive  essay  and  will  be 
warmly  appreciated  by  the  army  of  Lincoln  students  and 
admirers  over  the  country. 


BIRTH  AND  DESCENT  29 

Prior  to  1858,  Lincoln's  achievements  had  not  been 
noteworthy  or  momentous  enough  to  attract,  extensively, 
public  attention,  and  it  was  not  till  after  the  debates  with 
Douglas,  and  especially  the  Cooper  Institute  speech,  that 
he  began  to  attain  anything  like  national  recognition. 
When  he  was  thus  looming  up  large  on  the  horizon,  the 
people,  manifesting  the  same  degree  of  interest  and  antic- 
ipation with  which  they  had  awaited  the  history  of  every 
other  man  whose  successful  exploits  had  swept  him  into 
the  limelight,  naturally  turned  to  him  for  the  story  of  his 
life.  At  this  juncture  had  he,  with  his  accustomed  spirit 
and  candor,  met  the  question  squarely  and  imparted  the 
facts  as  he  understood  them,  the  nebulae  which,  for  so 
many  years,  enveloped  him  would  not  have  gathered,  and 
the  world  would  have  been  spared  the  nauseating  and  in- 
credible "disclosures"  which,  under  the  guise  of  "revealing 
the  true  genesis  of  a  wonderful  man,"  have  from  time  to 
time  drifted  into  the  open  sea  of  public  notice. 

Among  the  books  which  attempt  to  settle  the  ques- 
tion of  Lincoln's  birth  and  family  descent  are  "The  Sor- 
rows of  Nancy,"  published  in  Richmond,  Virginia,  and 
written  by  a  woman  under  the  name  of  Lucinda  Boyd; 
the  "Sad  Story  of  Nancy  Hanks,"  a  copyrighted  pam- 
phlet by  William  M.  Coleman,  of  Dallas,  Texas;  "Truth 
Stranger  than  Fiction:  or,  The  True  Genesis  of  a  Won- 
derful Man,"  by  James  Cathey,  of  Bryson  City,  North 
Carolina;  and  "The  Parentage  of  Lincoln,"  a  series  of 
newspaper  articles  by  D.  J.  Knotts,  of  Swansea,  South 
Carolina,  in  which  the  author  seeks  to  prove  that  Abra- 
ham Lincoln  was  the  son  of  John  C.  Calhoun,  who  became 
intimate  with  Nancy  Hanks  and,  for  five  hundred  dollars, 


30  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

hired  Thomas  Lincoln  to  assume  the  paternity  of  the  child 
and  take  the  woman  to  Kentucky. 

When,  in  obedience  to  the  direction  of  Hern  don,  I 
visited  Kentucky  in  quest  of  material  for  our  contem- 
plated Life  of  Lincoln,  and  especially  as  I  neared  the  re- 
gion of  the  latter's  birthplace,  a  network  of  traditions  con- 
fronted me.  I  dug  my  way  patiently  through  clerks' 
records  in  obscure  court-houses,  read  the  faded  pages  of 
family  history  in  musty  old  Bibles,  deciphered  curiously 
spelled  and  dimly  written  letters,  followed  down  the  never- 
ending  lanes  of  neighborhood  tradition  and  backwoods 
lore,  interviewed  witnesses  of  every  age  and  condition  in 
life  —  in  short,  searched  for  facts  and  data  until  I  had 
apparently  exhausted  every  available  avenue  to  intelligent 
information.  Each  locality  had  its  tradition,  and  many  of 
them  were  curious  and  sometimes  amusing.  The  rancor 
of  sectional  strife  furnished  an  atmosphere  in  which  some 
of  these  traditions,  feeding  on  their  own  inconsistencies, 
grew  to  the  dignity  of  colossal  falsehoods.  It  is  surprising 
how  many  at  one  time  or  another  were  current  in  central 
Kentucky.  Herndon,  who  visited  that  locality  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1865,  disposed  of  several,  but  even  when  I  fol- 
lowed him  later,  some  of  them  were  still  afloat  in  the  cur- 
rents and  eddies  of  local  history.  The  most  persistently 
adhered  to  and  the  least  preposterous  of  them  was  the 
Inloe  or  Enloe  legend.  I  encountered  it  in  both  Hardin 
and  Larue  Counties,  and  it  also  bobbed  up  in  other  parts 
of  the  State.  It  is  thus  summarized  by  a  man  who  lived 
in  Elizabethtown,  a  member  of  one  of  the  leading  families 
and  a  lawyer,  whose  account,  written  and  turned  over  to 
Herndon,  lies  before  me: 


THE  ENLOE  TRADITION  31 

"After  Abe's  birth  a  man  by  the  name  of  Abraham 
Enloe  living  in  this  region  claimed  him  as  his  son.  Thomas 
Lincoln  and  Enloe  had  a  regular  set-to  fight  about  the 
matter,  in  which  encounter  Lincoln  bit  off  the  end  of  En- 
loe's  nose.  Finally,  Lincoln,  to  clear  himself  of  Enloe, 
moved  to  Indiana.  As  far  back  as  I  can  remember  there 
lived  in  Hardin  County  three  families  of  Enloes,  all  from 
North  Carolina  and  all  said  to  be  cousins.  Isham  Enloe 
married  a  widow  Larue  and  had  a  family  of  some  distinc- 
tion. Abe  Enloe,  another  cousin,  tall,  dignified-looking 
man  of  fine  personal  appearance,  very  neat,  silent,  and 
reserved;  more  of  a  bookworm  than  anything  else;  married 
a  Vernon  —  one  of  our  best  families  —  and  was  the  father 
of  a  respectable  family.  Then  comes  our  veritable  Abe 
Enloe  who  claims  to  be  the  father  of  Lincoln.  He  was 
over  six  feet  high  and  a  fine  specimen  of  physical  man- 
hood. I  remember  him  with  part  of  his  nose  bit  off  as 
one  of  the  institutions  of  the  county  for  thirty  years. 
Very  silent,  very  unobtrusive,  never  drunk  nor  boister- 
ous, he  seemed  not  to  suffer  in  reputation  by  the  conduct 
of  his  sisters  who  were  more  or  less  boisterous.  I  never 
had  much  to  say  to  him  except  when  I  happened  to  sell 
him  some  article  for  his  farm  in  my  uncle's  store.  He 
may  have  been  a  man  of  destiny  also  and  patiently  filled 
the  place  assigned  by  Providence." 

In  addition  to  the  Enloe  story  I  devoted  some  time  to 
the  George  Brownfield  legend  and  to  another  which  sought 
to  fix  the  paternity  of  Lincoln  on  one  of  the  Hardins.  I 
was  even  provided  with  pictures  of  members  of  the  Brown- 
field  and  Young  families,  all  of  them  tall,  muscular  speci- 
mens, with  unusually  long  arms,  to  impress  me  with  the 


32  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

plausibility  of  the  theory  that,  as  Lincoln  himself  was  a 
man  of  like  physical  proportions,  he  must  have  descended 
from  the  same  family  source.  I  listened  to  a  long  and 
carefully  worded  argument  by  a  citizen  of  Mount  Sterling, 
an  editor  and  lawyer,  claiming  descent  from  the  millwright 
Abe  Enloe,  at  the  town  of  Paris,  and  who  sought  to  prove 
through  that  source  his  alleged  kinship  to  Lincoln. 

The  books  enumerated  and  the  legends  mentioned  are 
not  all  the  stories  relating  to  Lincoln's  ancestry  that  I 
encountered,  but  they  are  representative  of  their  class 
and  all  fall  to  the  ground  when  certain  tests  are  applied. 
Aside  from  their  inconsistencies  there  is  an  absence  of 
proof  in  support  of  their  ridiculous  contentions  beyond 
tradition  or  hearsay.  Questioning  the  legitimacy  of  Lin- 
coln's birth  they  overlook  the  well-established  fact  that 
he  was  the  second  child  in  the  family,  a  sister  older 
than  himself,  Sarah  by  name,  having  been  born  in  1807, 
whereas  he  did  not  see  the  light  of  day  till  1809,  almost 
three  years  after  his  parents'  marriage.  Moreover,  as 
to  the  Enloe  legend  in  particular,  it  is  now  known  that 
at  the  time  of  the  marriage  of  Thomas  Lincoln  and  Nancy 
Hanks  the  latter  was  twenty-three  years  old  and  Abe  En- 
loe, according  to  the  recollection  of  some  witnesses,  hardly 
seventeen.  Viewing  the  question  as  a  whole  there  is  no 
good  reason  to  shake  our  faith  in  the  conclusion  that  Abra- 
ham Lincoln  was  the  lawfully  begotten  son  of  the  above- 
named  parents. 

The  family  record  in  Thomas  Lincoln's  Bible  by  his  son 
Abraham,  and  the  only  Bible  record  of  the  Lincoln  family 
of  which  we  have  any  knowledge,  was,  until  recently,  in  the 
possession  of  Mr.  C.  F.  Gunther,  of  Chicago.  It  covered 


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THE  LINCOLN  FAMILY  BIBLE  RECORD    33 

but  one  sheet  and  was  found  by  the  author  many  years 
ago  in  the  hands  of  a  daughter  of  Dennis  Hanks.  The 
sheet  had  been  detached  from  between  the  leaves  of  the 
book  and  had  been  folded  in  several  places  so  long  that 
the  paper  was  gradually  wearing  away  at  the  folds  and  the 
section  in  the  upper  right-hand  corner  —  a  piece  about  an 
inch  and  a  half  square  —  was  missing.  Possibly  the  latter 
was  that  part  of  the  page  which  bore  the  record  of  the 
marriage  of  Thomas  Lincoln  and  Nancy  Hanks,  although 
it  is  likewise  possible  that  inscribed  therein  was  the  date 
of  the  birth  of  Thomas  Lincoln  as  the  head  of  the  house- 
hold. Within  recent  years  documentary  evidence  has 
come  to  light  establishing  the  fact  that  the  marriage  took 
place  June  12,  1806.  But  did  Mr.  Lincoln  know  that? 
If,  as  Henry  Watterson  and  others  have  stated,  he  died 
without  knowing  whether  his  parents  were  married  or  not, 
the  query  naturally  arises,  What  did  he  write  in  the  miss- 
ing section  of  the  Bible  record?  From  the  remaining 
portion  of  the  latter  we  learn  that  "Sarah,  daughter  of 
Thomas  and  Nancy  Lincoln,  was  born  February  10, 
1807,"  and  that  Abraham,  son  of  the  same  parents,  "was 
born  February  12,  1809."  Another  son,  Thomas,  was  born 
about  1812,  but  he  lived  a  few  days  only.  The  record 
is  silent  as  to  his  birth  or  death. 

Sarah,  the  daughter,  resembled  her  illustrious  brother 
in  but  few  particulars.  She  was  short  in  stature  and  some- 
what plump  in  build;  her  hair,  according  to  her  step- 
mother, was  dark  brown  and  her  eyes  gray.  She  was  given 
the  name  Sarah  at  birth  and  was  never  called  Nancy, 
as  erroneously  contended  by  certain  biographers  of  Lin- 
coln including  Nicolay  and  Hay.  When  Herndon  visited 


34  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

Indiana  he  met  several  persons  who  knew  and  remem- 
bered the  girl,  including  Elizabeth  Crawford  at  whose 
house  she  frequently  worked.  Mrs.  Crawford  testified  that 
she  was  slow  and  in  some  respects  seemed  to  be  lacking  in 
spirit  and  initiative  —  in  fact  had,  in  a  marked  degree,  the 
traits  that  characterized  her  father;  just  as  her  brother 
seemed  to  have  inherited  from  his  mother  the  quick  per- 
ception, clear  reasoning  powers,  and  profound  intellect 
that  lifted  him  above  the  level  of  his  surroundings.  The 
sister  was  married  to  Aaron  Grigsby  August  2,  1826,  and 
died  in  childbirth  January  20,  1828.  A  beautiful  granite 
monument  was  recently  erected  over  her  unmarked  grave 
near  the  village  of  Gentryville,  Indiana.  As  her  death 
occurred  before  the  removal  of  the  family  to  Illinois,  our 
knowledge  of  her  is  necessarily  meager  and  dim.  For  the 
little  we  have  been  able  to  learn  about  her  we  are  in- 
debted to  Dennis  and  John  Hanks  rather  than  to  her  il- 
lustrious brother,  who  seems  to  have  been  more  or  less 
silent  regarding  her.  Herndon  is  authority  for  the  state- 
ment that  Lincoln  seldom  ever  referred  to  her. 

In  tracing  the  line  of  Lincoln's  ancestry  we  are  not 
without  certain  authentic  landmarks  to  guide  us;  and  for- 
tunately for  all  concerned  their  accuracy 'cannot  well  be 
questioned,  for  they  were  established  by  Lincoln  him- 
self. Late  in  the  year  1859,  when  he  was  asked  for  the 
material  and  data  usually  expected  of  a  man  who  has  the 
presidential  fever  and  whose  career  and  deeds  are  entitled 
to  more  or  less  conspicuous  mention  in  the  newspapers,  he 
made  preparations,  though  with  some  reluctance,  to  com- 
ply with  the  request;  but  instead  of  dictating  the  required 
facts  to  another  to  put  into  shape  for  publication,  as  the 


AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCH  OF  1859      35 

average  man  of  his  standing  would  have  done,  he  sat  down 
one  evening  in  his  law  office,  after  his  partner,  Herndon, 
had  gone  home,  and  with  due  care  and  deliberation  wrote 
the  story  himself.  After  its  completion  he  turned  the 
paper  over  to  a  friend  to  be  published  or  not  as  might 
seem  to  be  for  the  best.  With  the  exception  of  the  few  lines 
furnished  to  the  compiler  of  the  Directory  of  the  Thirtieth 
Congress  in  1847,  this  is  the  first  attempt  on  Lincoln's 
part  to  acquaint  the  world  with  the  facts  and  incidents  of 
his  personal  career.  Many  years  ago  I  had  the  original 
manuscript  of  this  sketch  in  my  hands.  It  covers  several 
sheets  of  small  note-paper  and  is  a  very  clever,  if  not  in- 
geniously worded,  document.  The  writer,  dwelling  with 
pardonable  pride  on  his  paternal  forebears,  devotes  the 
greater  part  of  an  entire  page  to  the  deeds  and  exploits 
of  certain  members  of  the  Lincoln  family,  but  scarcely  two 
lines  to  the  maternal  side  of  the  house.  He  even  fails  to 
state  what  his  mother's  name  was,  the  only  reference  to 
her  existence  being  the  brief  and  incidental  allusion  that 
she  "came  of  a  family  by  the  name  of  Hanks."  Not 
long  after  this  paper  was  written,  a  correspondent  in  Ken- 
tucky, in  an  effort  to  identify  Lincoln  with  a  branch  of 
the  Hanks  family  there,  ventured  to  make  certain  in- 
quiries into  his  antecedents.  "You  are  mistaken  about 
my  mother"  was  his  blunt  reply,  and  beyond  that  he  made 
no  effort  to  enlighten  his  inquirer  or  otherwise  add  to  his 
knowledge. 

The  above  comprises  all  that  the  world  knew  of  the 
history  of  Lincoln  prior  to  the  spring  of  1860.  Then 
came  the  great  National  Convention  at  Chicago.  When 
it  had  adjourned  the  attention  of  the  country  was  at  once 


36  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

focused  on  the  immortal  Railsplitter  at  Springfield.  All 
the  roads  now  led  to  his  house.  Painters,  sculptors,  pho- 
tographers, correspondents  arrived  by  every  train.  They 
made  his  picture,  they  modeled  his  bust,  they  beset  him 
at  every  turn.  He  received  and  with  patient  grace  wel- 
comed the  well-nigh  interminable  line  of  callers  that  daily 
thronged  through  the  doorway  of  the  plain  two-story 
house  on  Eighth  Street.  He  told  them  amusing  stories  and 
sent  them  away  laughing;  but  although  ordinarily  frank 
and  communicative  he  seemed  to  draw  within  his  shell 
whenever  the  conversation  turned  on  himself  or  his  family 
history.  The  situation  was  more  or  less  delicate,  to  say 
the  least.  Meanwhile  word  reached  him  from  sources  he 
deemed  it  unwise  to  ignore  and  he  was  made  to  realize  that 
the  time  for  reticence  and  evasion  had  passed;  in  other 
words,  that  he  must  take  the  public  into  his  confidence  and 
tell  the  whole  story. 

It  was  at  this  juncture  that  John  L.  Scripps,  the  editor 
of  the  "  Chicago  Press  and  Tribune,"  appeared  upon  the 
scene.  He  was  the  authorized  biographer  of  the  nominee 
of  the  Chicago  Convention.  Of  the  visit  of  Mr.  Scripps  to 
Springfield  to  begin  his  work  it  is  unnecessary  to  go  into 
details.  It  suffices  to  say  that  in  due  time  the  biography 
—  a  pamphlet  of  thirty-two  pages  —  appeared  and  was 
widely  distributed.  "Lincoln  seemed  to  be  painfully  im- 
pressed," wrote  Scripps  in  a  letter  to  Hern  don,  after  Lin- 
coln's death,  which  has  been  turned  over  to  me,  "with  the 
extreme  poverty  of  his  early  surroundings  —  the  utter 
absence  of  all  romantic  and  heroic  elements.  He  communi- 
cated some  facts  concerning  his  ancestry  which  he  did  not 
wish  to  have  published  and  which  I  have  never  spoken  of 


THE  JOHN  L.  SCRIPPS  INCIDENT         37 

or  alluded  to  before."  To  this  man,  therefore,  Lincoln 
must  have  disclosed  the  facts  he  had  been  so  persistently 
withholding  from  the  public.  But  alas  for  us,  what  they 
were  we  shall  probably  never  know,  for,  only  a  few  months 
after  Lincoln's  death,  the  biographer  to  whom  they  were 
communicated  himself  died  without  revealing  a  word! 

From  Lincoln's  halting  and  evasive  demeanor,  there- 
fore, it  soon  became  apparent  that,  somewhere  in  his  an- 
cestral line,  there  existed  a  lapse  or  hiatus  or  some  equally 
embarrassing  circumstance  which  he  saw  fit  to  withhold. 
The  question  naturally  arose,  Where  and  what  was  the 
trouble?  We  might  still  be  in  the  dark  and  as  far  as  ever 
from  a  solution  of  the  difficulty  but  for  the  timely  contri- 
bution of  Herndon,  who  came  nearer  bearing  the  relation 
of  confidant  to  Lincoln  than  any  other  man  in  Springfield 
outside  of  Joshua  F.  Speed.  Herndon's  testimony  relates 
to  a  revelation  made  to  him  by  Lincoln  under  the  follow- 
ing circumstances: 

"On  the  subject  of  his  ancestry,"  writes  Herndon,  "I 
only  remember  one  time  when  Mr.  Lincoln  referred  to  it. 
It  was  in  the  fifties  when  he  and  I  were  driving  to  court 
in  Menard  County.  The  suit  we  were  discussing  touched 
upon  the  subject  of  hereditary  traits.  During  the  ride  he 
spoke  of  his  mother,  dwelling  on  her  characteristics  and 
mentioning  or  enumerating  what  qualities  he  believed  he 
had  inherited  from  her.  Among  other  things  I  remember 
he  said  she  was  the  illegitimate  daughter  of  Lucy  Hanks 
and  a  well-bred  Virginia  farmer  or  planter;  he  argued  that 
from  this  last  source  came  his  power  of  analysis,  his  logic, 
his  mental  activity,  his  ambition,  and  all  the  qualities  that 
distinguished  him  from  the  other  members  and  descend- 


38  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

ants  of  the  Hanks  family.  His  theory  was  that,  for  certain 
reasons,  illegitimate  children  are  sometimes  sturdier  and 
brighter  than  those  born  in  lawful  wedlock;  and  in  his 
case  he  believed  that  his  better  nature  and  finer  qualities 
came  from  this  unknown,  broad-minded  Virginian.1  The 
revelation  —  painful  as  it  was  —  called  up  the  recollec- 
tion of  his  mother,  and,  as  the  buggy  jolted  over  the  road, 
he  added  ruefully,  'God  bless  my  mother;  all  that  I  am 
or  ever  expect  to  be  I  owe  to  her,'  and  lapsed  into  silence. 
Our  interchange  of  ideas  ceased  and  we  rode  on  for  some 
time  without  exchanging  a  word.  Burying  himself  in 
thought  and  musing,  no  doubt,  over  the  disclosure  he  had 
just  made,  he  drew  about  himself  a  barrier  which  I  feared 
to  penetrate.  His  words  and  melancholy  tone  made  a 
deep  impression  on  me.  It  was  an  experience  I  can  never 
forget.  As  we  neared  the  town  of  Petersburg  we  were 
overtaken  by  an  old  man  who  entertained  us  with  remi- 
niscences of  early  days  on  the  frontier.  Lincoln  was  in 
turn  reminded  of  several  Indiana  stories,  and  by  the  time 
we  had  reached  the  unpretentious  court-house  at  our 
destination  his  sadness  had  passed  away." 

Fortunately  for  Hern  don  his  narrative  of  what  Lincoln 
told  him  —  which  may  be  the  same  thing  Lincoln  after- 
wards confided  to  John  L.  Scripps  -r  does  not  lack  for 
support;  for,  in  its  vital  or  material  points,  it  is  corrob- 
orated by  the  testimony  of  John  and  Dennis  Hanks,  the 

1  Of  course  this  theory  of  hereditary  or  transmitted  traits  was  not  original 
with  Lincoln;  but  it  was  most  impressively  illustrated  in  the  history  of  his 
own,  or  rather,  the  Hanks  family.  Reared  in  extreme  poverty  and  denied  all 
early  advantages,  he  was  nevertheless  able,  by  virtue  of  his  profound  intellect 
and  sheer  native  powers,  to  rise  to  the  loftiest  niche  any  American  has  thus  far 
attained;  but,  of  the  seven  other  children  born  to  Lucy  Hanks  after  the  birth 
of  her  daughter  Nancy  —  who  was  Abraham's  mother  —  and  their  descendants, 
not  one  has  ever  been  heard  from. 


DENNIS  AND  JOHN  HANKS  39 

two  most  competent  of  all  the  witnesses  who  have  thus 
far  attempted  to  enlighten  us  regarding  the  question  of 
Lincoln's  family  descent.  Their  recollections,  largely  in 
their  own  handwriting,  were  recorded  within  a  year  after 
Lincoln's  death,  and,  notwithstanding  all  that  has  been 
said  and  written  on  the  subject  since  then,  their  testi- 
mony remains  practically  uncontradicted.  According  to 
Lincoln  the  two  were  cousins  of  each  other  and  first  cou- 
sins of  his  mother.  Both  were  born  in  Kentucky  — John, 
February  9,  1802,  and  Dennis,  May  15,  1799;  both  died 
in  Illinois;  John,  July  12,  1890,  and  Dennis,  October  21, 
1892. 

Before  proceeding  further  with  their  testimony,  how- 
ever, it  will  not  be  out  of  place  to  notice  here  the  deduc- 
tions of  Mrs.  Caroline  Hanks  Hitchcock,  a  lady  in  Cam- 
bridge, Massachusetts — descended  from  Benjamin  Hanks, 
of  Plymouth  —  who,  in  1899,  wrote  and  published  a  book 
entitled  "  Nancy  Hanks  —  The  True  Story  of  Lincoln's 
Mother,"  containing  an  account  of  the  author's  researches 
into  the  early  history  of  the  Hanks  family  and  preceded 
by  an  introduction  by  Miss  Ida  Tarbell.  The  purpose  of 
the  work,  as  stated,  was  to  "clear  the  name  of  Nancy 
Hanks  Lincoln,"  and  great  stress  is  laid  on  the  will  of 
Joseph  Hanks  executed  January  9, 1793,  in  Nelson  County, 
Kentucky,  and  found  by  the  author  during  a  visit  to  that 
State.  In  this  will  the  testator,  among  other  things,  be- 
queaths to  his  daughter  Nancy  "one  heifer  yearling  called 
Peidy,"  whereupon  the  author  at  once  concludes  that  she 
has  accomplished  her  mission,  proclaiming  that  her  dis- 
covery "settles  the  question  of  Nancy  Hanks'  parentage, 
showing  that  she  had  a  father  who  recognized  her  in  his 


4o  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

will  with  the  same  generosity  that  he  did  her  brothers  and 
sisters."  Mrs.  Hitchcock's  motives  are  highly  commend- 
able and  praiseworthy,  but  unfortunately  for  the  accuracy 
of  her  deductions  it  happens  that  there  were  numerous 
Nancy  Hankses  in  Kentucky  in  those  days,  and  she  fails 
to  furnish  the  proof  that  the  Nancy  Hanks  named  by 
Joseph  Hanks  in  his  will  was  the  same  Nancy  Hanks  who 
was  married  to  Thomas  Lincoln.  Two  other  facts  tend  to 
discredit  her  conclusion:  Lincoln's  mother  was  the  daugh- 
ter of  Lucy  Hanks,  and  the  latter,  we  know,  had  a  sister 
named  Nancy.  It  will  be  observed  that  Joseph  Hanks  in 
his  will  makes  no  mention  of  a  daughter  Lucy  and  that 
his  wife  bore  the  name  Nancy. 

Dennis  Hanks  was  the  natural  son  of  Charles  Friend 
and  Nancy  Hanks.  The  latter  after  the  birth  of  her  son 
was  married  to  Levi  Hall  and  became  the  mother  of  several 
more  children.  Being  as  he  himself  states  a  "base-born" 
child,  Dennis  was  not  admitted  to  the  Hall  household, 
but  was  duly  turned  over  to  the  sheltering  care  of  his 
mother's  sister  Elizabeth,  married  to  Thomas  Sparrow. 
The  latter  were  a  childless  couple  and  we  are  told  cheer- 
fully took  the  cast-off  waif,  caring  for  him  as  dutifully 
and  affectionately  as  if  he  had  been  their  own  child. 
Nancy  Hanks,  the  mother  of  Dennis  Hanks,  had  a  sister 
Lucy,  who,  in  1783,  gave  birth  to  a  daughter,  also  called 
Nancy,  to  whom  was  reserved  an  illustrious  maternity  in 
the  birth  of  her  son  Abraham  Lincoln.  Who  the  father  of 
this  last-named  Nancy  Hanks  was  no  one,  not  even  Mr. 
Lincoln  himself,  has  thus  far  been  able  to  tell;  but  we  know 
that  after  her  birth  her  mother,  Lucy  Hanks,  was  married 
to  Henry  Sparrow  and  became  the  mother  of  seven  more 


DENNIS  AND  JOHN  HANKS  41 

children.  The  records  of  Mercer  County,  Kentucky,  show 
that  "  the  rites  of  marriage  between  Henry  Sparrow  and 
Lucy  Hanks  were  duly  solemnized  by  John  Baily  April  3, 
1791."  Nancy  Hanks  must,  therefore,  have  been  about 
eight  years  old  when  her  mother  was  married  to  Henry 
Sparrow. 

For  the  same  reason  that  Dennis  Hanks  spent  his  early 
boyhood  apart  from  the  Hall  family,  his  cousin,  Nancy 
Hanks,  was  not  suffered  to  remain  in  the  same  household 
with  the  children  of  her  mother  and  Henry  Sparrow. 
She,  too,  had  been  turned  over  to  the  fostering  care  of 
Thomas  and  "Betsy"  or  Elizabeth  Sparrow  and  under 
their  inviting  roof-tree  she  for  a  time  shared  the  fortunes 
and  companionship  of  her  cousin  Dennis  Hanks.  That 
their  foster-parents  gave  heed  to  their  needs  and  zealously 
strove  to  promote  their  comfort  and  welfare  is  evidenced 
by  the  fact  that  both  children  seem  in  some  way  to  have 
absorbed  more  of  the  rudiments  of  an  education  than 
any  of  their  immediate  kindred.  Dennis  Hanks,  though 
of  no  greater  native  ability  than  his  cousin  John,  had 
much  the  advantage  of  the  latter  in  the  matter  of  educa- 
tional qualifications.  His  writing  is  legible  and  his  letters 
and  notes  or  statements,  of  which  Mr.  Herndon  at  one 
time  had  at  least  fifty  pages,  indicate  a  better  knowledge 
of  English  than  one  could  expect  from  a  man  whose  early 
opportunities  were  so  distressingly  meager  and  adverse. 
A  few  extracts  from  his  testimony,  copied  from  the  orig- 
inal manuscript,  are  more  or  less  illuminative.  They 
will  serve  to  test  his  competency  as  a  witness.  Many  of 
his  letters  are  in  response  to  specific  inquiries  propounded 
by  Mr.  Herndon,  and  when  he  replied  he  usually  repeated 


42  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

the  question  adopting  as  nearly  as  possible  the  original 
phraseology  regardless  of  its  primitive  spelling  and  rude 
capitalization.  Thus,  in  February,  1866,  writing  from 
Charleston,  Illinois,  Hanks  says: 

Those  questions  you  Propound  is  the  Easiest  for  me  to  an- 
swer of  all  the  Rest.  I  give  it  in  full,  Noing  what  I  say.  ist  What 
is  the  Name  of  A.  Lincolns  Mother? 

Hir  Name  was  Nancy  Sparrow;  hir  fathers  Name  was  Henry 
Sparrow,  hir  Mother  was  Lucy  Sparrow,  her  Madin  name  was 
Hanks,  sister  to  my  Mother.  2nd.  You  say  why  was  she  cald 
Hanks? 

All  I  can  say  is  this  She  was  Deep  in  Stalk  of  the  Hanks  family. 
Calling  hir  Hanks  probily  is  My  fait.  I  allways  told  hir  She 
Looked  More  Like  the  Hankses  than  Sparrow.  I  think  this  is 
the  way;  if  you  call  hir  Hanks  you  Make  hir  a  Base  born  Child 
which  is  not  trew. 

Of  course  no  reasonable  thinking  person  will  doubt  that 
Dennis  Hanks  not  only  knew  who  his  own  mother  was, 
but  who  was  the  mother  of  his  cousin  Nancy  as  well.  The 
same  statement  will  apply  to  John  Hanks;  but  the  one 
difficulty  with  the  testimony  of  both  witnesses  is,  that 
while  persisting  in  the  declaration  that  Lincoln's  mother 
was  a  daughter  of  Lucy  Sparrow,  and  therefore  should 
be  called  Sparrow,  they  overlooked  the  fact  that,  in  thus 
endeavoring  to  preserve  unbroken  the  Hanks  ancestral 
line,  they  were  in  flat  contradiction  with  the  highest  grade 
of  evidence  known  to  the  law:  a  duly  authorized  public 
record.  The  clerk  of  Mercer  County,  Kentucky,  certifies 
that  Lucy  Hanks  and  Henry  Sparrow  were  married  April 
3,  1791 ;  if,  therefore,  as  these  witnesses  would  have  us  be- 
lieve, Lucy  Hanks's  daughter  Nancy  was  not  born  till 
after  the  marriage  to  Henry  Sparrow,  she  would  have  been 
scarcely  fourteen  years  old  at  the  time  of  her  marriage  to 


LETTERS  OF  DENNIS  HANKS  43 

Thomas  Lincoln,  whereas,  on  the  contrary,  she  was  then 
twenty-three,  having  been  born  in  1783. 

February  22, 1866,  Dennis  Hanks  writes  Herndon  again: 

ist  question,  How  comes  it  that  Lincoln  him  Self  Calls  his 
Mother  Nancy  Hanks? 

I  say  this  I  Dont  Believe  he  ever  Said  so  for  his  Mother  was 
Nancy  Lincoln;  hir  Madin  Name  was  Nancy  Sparrow.  So  what 
is  the  Use  of  all  this? 

Further  along  in  the  same  letter  he  says: 

You  Say  that  you  have  Received  a  Letter  from  Charles  Friend; 
he  wished  to  No  Sum  of  my  ants  and  unkels.  I  will  Say  this  a 
Bout  it  Billy.  I  am  a  Base  Born  Child.  My  mother  was  Nancy 
Hanks,  The  ant  of  A.  Lincolns  Mother;  My  first  ant  Lucy 
Sparrow,  Next  polly  Friend,  Next  Elizabeth  Sparrow,  these  on 
My  Mothers  Side  and  Abes;  one  ant  on  My  fathers  Side  Married 
Zary  Wilcox  hir  name  was  Sally  Friend. 

February  28, 1866,  he  writes: 

Friend  William  those  questions  is  Mity  Easy  to  answer. 

i  st,  Who  was  the  Mother  of  Nancy  Sparrow  ? 

Now  this  is  Abes  Mother  you  asking  a  Bout.  It  was  Lucy 
Hanks  first  and  Next  Lucy  Sparrow  My  Ant. 

2nd  What  was  Miss  Nancy  Sparrows  fathers  Name? 

It  was  Henry  Sparrow.  Lucy  Hanks  was  his  wife,  the  Mother 
of  Abes  Mother  and  my  ant. 

Did  Mister  Sparrow  and  his  wife  have  any  children  except 
Nancy  Sparrow  ? 

I  answer  yes  they  had  8  children  4  Sons  and  4  Daughters. 
James,  thomas,  Henry,  George:  girls  Sally,  Elizabeth,  Nancy, 
all  Born  in  Mercer  county  Kentucky. 

3rd.  Who  did  Jesse  Friend  Mary? 

He  married  My  ant  polly  Hanks,  Abes  Mothers  ant.  Thomas 
Sparrow  married  Elizabeth  Hanks,  A.  Lincolns  ant,  Sister  to 
Henry  Sparrows  wife  Lucy  Hanks;  this  is  their  first  name. 

Who  did  Levi  Hall  mary  ? 

He  married  My  Mother  Nancy  Hanks  which  was  Lucy 
Hanks  Sister,  Henry  Sparrows  wife,  Abes  grand  Mother. 


44  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

4th  Was  you  Raised  by  Charles  friend  or  thomas  Sparrow? 
I  was  raised  by  thomas  Sparrow  on  the  Little  South  fork  of 
Nolin  Kentucky. 

5  Was  thomas  Sparrow  Mr.  Lincolns  Mothers  father? 
I  answer  No  Kin  at  all. 

Further  extracts  from  the  written  recollections  of  this 
unique  and  willing  witness  would  simply  be  confirmatory 
of  his  original  testimony.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was 
the  only  man  then  living  who  had  seen  the  infant  son  of 
Thomas  and  Nancy  Lincoln  before  he  was  a  week  old. 
His  narrative  of  this  event,  told  in  his  crude  and  homely 
style,  is  not  without  interest.  "They  told  me  the  Lin- 
colns had  a  baby  at  thur  house,"  he  related  to  the  writer 
at  Charleston,  Illinois,  October  28,  1886,  "and  so  I  jest 
run  all  the  way  down  thar.  I  guess  I  was  on  hand  purty 
early,  fur  I  rickolect  when  I  held  the  little  feller  in  my  arms 
his  mother  said, '  Be  keerful  with  him,  Dennis,  fur  you  air 
the  fust  boy  he  's  ever  seen.'  I  sort  o*  swung  him  back 
and  forth;  a  little  too  peart,  I  reckon,  fur  with  the  talkin' 
and  the  shakin'  he  soon  begun  to  cry  and  then  I  handed 
him  over  to  my  Aunt  Polly  who  wuz  standin*  close  by. 
'Aunt,'  sez  I,  'take  him;  he  '11  never  come  to  much,'  fur 
I  '11  tell  you  he  wuz  the  puniest,  cryin'est  little  youngster 
I  ever  saw.'* 

Dennis  Hanks  lived  to  be  the  last  survivor  of  the  little 
band  that  gathered  about  the  grave  of  Nancy  Hanks  Lin- 
coln when  she  was  laid  to  rest  on  the  crest  of  that  little 
knoll  in  southern  Indiana.  He  also  witnessed  the  death 
and  burial  of  his  own  mother  as  well  as  that  of  his  foster- 
parents  Thomas  and  Elizabeth  Sparrow;  in  fact,  it  was 
through  his  clear  recollection  of  incidents  and  objects  that 
it  has  been  possible  with  any  degree  of  accuracy  to  deter- 


LETTERS  OF  DENNIS  HANKS  45 

mine  the  location  of  the  grave  of  Nancy  Hanks.    In  a 
letter  to  Mr.  Herndon,  which  bears  no  date,  he  writes: 

You  ask  was  Mr.  Sparrow  and  Wife  Buried  on  the  same 
Mound?  I  say  yes,  the  Women  was  Side  by  Side;  Abes  Mother 
in  the  Middle,  first  My  ant,  which  was  thomas  Sparrows  wife 
on  one  side  of  Abes  Mother  and  My  Mother  on  the  other  side. 
Levi  Hall  on  the  Side  of  his  wife,  which  was  My  Mother,  and 
thomas  Sparrow  was  on  the  side  of  his  wife  which  was  My  ant, 
the  5  together.  Abes  Mother  Died  first;  they  all  Died  Close  to- 
gether. 

The  association  of  John  Hanks,  the  other  witness  re- 
ferred to  in  these  pages,  with  the  other  Hankses,  the 
Sparrows,  and  the  Friends,  was  not  so  intimate  or  con- 
tinuous as  that  of  his  cousin  Dennis  Hanks.  About  the 
time  of  Mr.  Lincoln's  birth  John  Hanks  left  Hardin  for 
Grayson  County  in  Kentucky.  In  1822  he  emigrated  to 
Spencer  County,  Indiana,  buying  a  tract  of  land  near 
the  Lincoln  farm.  Six  years  later  he  removed  to  Macon 
County,  Illinois,  where  he  was  living  when  Thomas  Lin- 
coln and  his  family,  migrating  from  Indiana,  joined  him 
in  the  spring  of  1830.  He  made  six  flatboat  trips  to  New 
Orleans,  one  of  them  with  Abraham  Lincoln.  He  was  a 
soldier  in  the  Black  Hawk  War  and  also  in  the  Civil  War, 
serving  as  an  enlisted  man  in  the  Twenty-First  Illinois 
Volunteers  (General  Grant's  regiment)  for  three  years. 
Lincoln  held  him  in  high  esteem.  "I  can  say,"  wrote 
Herndon  in  an  endorsement  on  the  margin  of  one  of  John 
Hanks's  statements,  "  that  this  testimony  can  be  safely 
relied  upon.  Mr.  Lincoln  loved  this  man  —  thought  him 
truthful,  honest,  and  noble.  Lincoln  has  stated  this  to 
rue  over  and  over  again." 

While  the  recollections  of  John  Hanks  are  not  so  vo- 


46  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

luminous  and  cover  less  range  than  the  contributions  of 
Dennis,  yet  he  corroborates  the  latter  on  all  vital  and  es- 
sential points,  also  resorting  to  the  same  artifice  to  legit- 
imize the  birth  of  Lincoln's  mother  by  naming  her  Nancy 
Sparrow.  His  first  letter,  written  at  Decatur,  Illinois, 
is  dated  May  25,  1865.  After  a  brief  sketch  of  Thomas 
Lincoln  he  says  of  the  latter's  wife:  "Nancy  Sparrow  was 
the  mother  of  Abraham  Lincoln.  Her  mother's  name  was 
Lucy  Hanks  and  was  born  in  Virginia."  In  a  subsequent 
statement  he  says:  "Abe's  mother  was  my  first  cousin. 
His  grandfather  and  grandmother  on  his  mother's  side 
lived  in  Mercer  County,  Kentucky,  about  twenty-five 
miles  south  of  his  grandfather  on  his  father's  side.  Dennis 
and  I  are  cousins."  In  a  letter  still  later  he  says:  "Mr. 
Sparrow  and  Mrs.  Sparrow  never  came  to  Illinois.  Henry 
Sparrow  was  the  husband's  name.  They  lived  and  died  in 
Mercer  County,  Kentucky." 

The  last  letter  from  John  Hanks  was  written  at  Link- 
ville,  Klamath  County,  Oregon,  June  12,  1887,  at  which 
place  he  was  then  living.  It  was  addressed  to  me.  After 
a  brief  description  of  the  physical  make-up  of  Lincoln's 
mother,  he  says  of  her:  "Her  mother  married  Henry 
Sparrow.  She  was  shrewd,  not  very  much  of  a  talker; 
very  religious  and  her  disposition  was  very  quiet." 


CHAPTER  IV 

Removal  of  the  Lincolns  from  Indiana  to  Illinois  in  1830  —  Thomas  Lincoln 
sells  the  land  to  Charles  Grigsby  —  Leaving  Gentryville  —  Names  of  the  emi- 
grancs  and  description  of  the  journey  —  Reaching  Macon  County,  Illinois  — 
Abe  leaves  the  family  near  Decatur  and  pushes  out  for  himself — Thomas 
Lincoln  and  the  Hankses — Story  of  Thomas  Johnston  jailed  for  stealing  a  watch 
and  how  Lincoln  saved  him  —  Recollections  of  Harriet  Chapman  who  lived  at 
the  Lincoln  home  in  Springfield. 

THE  year  1830  is  a  milestone  in  the  life  of  Abraham  Lin- 
coln. It  marks  not  only  the  time  when  he  attained  his 
majority  and  became  his  own  master,  but  also  when  the 
Lincoln  family  made  its  last  interstate  removal:  from 
Indiana  to  Illinois.  This  early  migration  westward  is  of 
such  moment  and  historical  importance  that  the  legisla- 
tures of  the  two  States  have  sought,  through  commissions 
selected  for  the  purpose,  to  determine,  and,  by  means  of 
monuments  and  bronze  tablets,  to  mark,  the  route  over 
which  these  poor  and  luckless  pioneers  made  their  way 
from  the  village  of  Gentryville  in  Spencer  County,  Indi- 
ana, to  their  destination,  a  point  several  miles  west  of 
the  town  of  Decatur  in  Macon  County,  Illinois. 

In  the  year  1829  John  Hanks  had  settled  near  the  last- 
named  place  and  was  soon  so  well  pleased  with  his  new 
abode  that  he  wrote  to  the  Lincolns  and  Hankses  in  Indi- 
ana urging  them  to  "pull  up  stakes"  and  follow.  "The 
proposition,"  recites  the  Indiana  Commission  in  their  re- 
port, "met  with  the  general  consent  of  the  Lincoln  con- 
tingent and  especially  suited  the  roving  and  migratory 
spirit  of  Thomas  Lincoln.  He  had  been  induced  by  the 
same  rosy  and  alluring  reports  to  leave  Indiana.  Four 


48  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

times  had  he  moved  since  his  first  marriage  and  in  point 
of  worldly  goods  he  was  no  better  off  than  when  he  first 
started  in  life.  His  land  groaned  under  the  weight  of  a 
long  neglected  encumbrance,  and  like  many  of  his  neigh- 
bors he  was  ready  for  another  change.  Having  disposed  of 
his  eighty  acres  of  land  to  Charles  Grigsby  for  one  hundred 
and  twenty-five  dollars  and  his  corn  and  hogs  to  his  friend 
David  Turnham  (the  corn  bringing  ten  cents  a  bushel  and 
the  hogs  being  '  lumped  ')>  he  loaded  his  household  goods 
into  a  wagon  drawn  by  two  yoke  of  oxen  and  with  his 
family  set  out  early  in  March,  1830,  for  the  prairies  of 
central  Illinois.  The  emigrant  party  comprised  thirteen 
persons  and  included  Thomas  and  Sarah  Bush  Lincoln, 
their  two  sons,  Abraham  Lincoln  and  John  D.  Johnston; 
Squire  Hall,  his  wife,  Matilda  Johnston,  and  son,  John; 
Dennis  Hanks,  his  wife,  Elizabeth  Johnston,  and  four  chil- 
dren :  Sarah  J.,  Nancy  M.,  Harriet  A.,  and  John  T.  Hall  and 
Hanks  had  married  the  two  daughters  of  Mrs.  Lincoln. 

"The  journey  was  long  and  tedious,  the  streams  swol- 
len and  the  roads  muddy  almost  to  the  point  of  impassa- 
bility.  The  rude  wagon  with  its  primitive  wooden  wheels 
creaked  and  groaned  as  it  crawled  through  the  woods 
and  now  and  then  stalled  in  the  mud.  Many  were  the  de- 
lays, but  none  ever  disturbed  the  equanimity  of  its  pas- 
sengers. They  were  cheerful  in  the  face  of  adversity  hope- 
ful and  determined;  but  none  of  them  more  so  than  the 
ungainly  youth  in  buckskin  breeches  and  coonskin  cap 
who  wielded  the  gad  and  urged  the  patient  oxen  forward. 
As  they  entered  the  new  State  little  did  the  curious  people 
in  the  various  towns  and  villages  through  which  they 
passed  dream  that  the  obscure  and  penniless  driver  who 


REMOVAL  TO  ILLINOIS  49 

yelled  his  commands  to  the  dumb  oxen  was  destined  to 
become  the  Chief  Magistrate  of  the  greatest  nation  of 
modern  times." 

As  agreed  upon  by  the  authorities  of  Indiana  and  Illi- 
nois, the  route  through  the  two  States  leads  as  follows:  In 
Indiana  from  Gentryville  northward  through  Dale  to 
Jasper;  thence  northwestwardly  to  Petersburg,  thence  to 
Vincennes.  At  the  latter  place  the  Wabash  was  crossed 
and  they  pushed  on  to  Lawrenceville,  Illinois;  thence 
northwestwardly  again  to  Palestine,  York,  and  Darwin, 
where  they  left  the  Wabash  and  traveled  northwestwardly 
again  passing  Richwoods,  Dead  Man's  Grove  in  Coles 
County,  Nelson  in  Moultrie  County,  finally  reaching  their 
destination,  a  few  miles  west  of  Decatur  in  Macon  County, 
Illinois. 

Here  it  was  they  pitched  their  tent.  Abe  helped  John 
Hanks  split  the  rails  that  brought  him  fame,  and  in  various 
ways  made  himself  useful.  Realizing  that  he  had  attained 
manhood,  he  now  began  to  measure  himself  along  with 
other  people.  His  family,  all  things  considered,  were  in- 
deed a  sorry  lot  —  his  father  poor,  inert,  and  devoid  of 
ambition  and  the  other  members  equally  dull,  improvi- 
dent, and  shiftless.  To  be  forced  to  spend  the  remainder 
of  his  days  amid  such  unpalatable  surroundings  was  a 
proposition  from  which  he  recoiled  with  feelings  of  com- 
mingled antipathy  and  regret.  As  he  reasoned,  other 
places  existed  where  he  could  better  his  environment. 
The  truth  is  the  young  eagle  was  anxious  to  try  his  wings ! 
Therefore  when  he  realized  that  his  kindred,  the  ill-starred 
emigrants  from  Indiana,  were  now  comfortably  and,  as  he 
hoped,  permanently  settled,  he  left  them,  pushing  on  to 


50  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

another  locality  far  enough  away  to  avoid  their  illiterate 
if  not  unwelcome  companionship. 

It  will  not  do  to  leave  the  impression  that  Lincoln  was 
selfish  and  indifferent  to  the  wants  of  his  family.  He 
never  sought  to  evade  the  obligation  to  care  for  his  father 
and  stepmother  —  in  fact,  one  of  his  last  acts  before  leav- 
ing for  Washington  to  be  inaugurated  President  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1861,  was  to  visit  his  stepmother  at  Charleston, 
Illinois,  and  leave  with  her  a  generous  sum  of  money 
to  lighten  the  burden  of  her  declining  years  and  thus  in- 
sure her  every  comfort.  Likewise  the  letter  by  Lincoln 
to  his  stepbrother,  John  D.  Johnston,  in  January,  1851, 
which  Herndon  caused  to  be  published,  forever  dispels 
the  imputation  that  he  was  callous  or  indifferent  to  the 
needs  of  his  father. 

And  yet,  although  Thomas  Lincoln  lived  for  over 
twenty  years  in  Coles  County,  Illinois,  and  within  seventy- 
five  miles  of  Springfield,  he  never  visited  his  son  there  and, 
so  far  as  is  known,  was  never  in  the  town.  When  Mr. 
Lincoln  was  wedded  to  Mary  Todd,  in  November,  1842, 
not  one  of  his  kindred  was  present.  Whether  they  were 
invited  or  not  has  never  been  determined.  An  idea  of  the 
moral  and  social  status  of  the  Hankses  and  Johnstons  who 
formed  Thomas  Lincoln's  household,  and  in  whose  com- 
pany his  son  Abraham  grew  to  manhood,  may  be  gleaned 
from  incidents  suggested  to  me  by  Herndon  and  which  I 
carefully  investigated. 

In  a  statement  furnished  to  Herndon  in  1865,  Thomas 
L.  D.  Johnston,  the  son  of  Lincoln's  stepbrother,  John  D. 
Johnston,  says:  "Mr.  Lincoln  took  a  fancy  to  my  younger 
brother  also  named  Abraham;  wanted  him  to  come  to 


TOM  JOHNSTON  IN  JAIL  51 

Springfield,  live  at  Lincoln's  home,  and  go  to  school  so  as 
to  get  a  fair  start  in  the  world;  but  when  Mrs.  Lincoln  was 
consulted  she  objected  so  bitterly  her  husband  was  obliged 
to  write  to  my  brother  and  tell  him  the  plan  could  not  be 
carried  out  because  of  domestic  opposition.  He  offered, 
however,  to  give  my  brother  money  to  pay  for  his  books 
and  the  schooling  he  received  at  home.  He  died  in  1861 
at  the  age  of  twenty-two." 

Another  episode  came  to  me  through  Henry  C.  Whit- 
ney, who  was  a  close  friend  of  Mr.  Lincoln,  and  for  years  a 
lawyer  in  Urbana,  Illinois,  later  removing  to  Chicago.  I 
investigated  the  story  and  learned  that  Mr.  Whitney's 
version  was  fully  corroborated  by  the  court  and  county 
records. 

"In  the  summer  of  1856,"  he  related,  "when  Mr.  Lin- 
coln was  one  of  the  electors-at-large  on  the  Fremont  presi- 
dential ticket,  a  boy  was  assisting  a  man  to  drive  some 
horses  to  the  northern  part  of  Illinois.  They  stopped 
overnight  at  Champaign,  and  while  there  the  boy  went  to 
a  small  watchmaker's  shop,  kept  by  an  old  and  decrepit 
man  named  Green,  upon  an  errand  and  managed  to  pur- 
loin a  watch.  The  theft  was  discovered  in  time  to  cause 
the  boy's  arrest  at  the  next  stopping-place.  He  was 
brought  before  my  father,  a  justice  of  the  peace,  and  the 
case  being  made  out  the  boy  was  committed;  but  the  boy 
had  asked  that  the  case  be  held  open  till  he  could  send  for 
his  uncle  Abraham  Lincoln  to  defend  him.  Meanwhile 
he  was  committed  to  jail  to  await  the  action  of  the  grand 
jury. 

"Not  long  after  this  occurrence  I  attended  a  meeting 
held  at  Urbana,  the  county  seat  at  which  Mr.  Lincoln  was 


52  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

one  of  the  speakers.  When  he  saw  me  he  called  me  aside 
and  whispered:  'There  is  a  boy  in  your  jail  I  want  to  see, 
but  I  don't  want  any  one  beside  yourself  to  know  it.  I 
wish  you  would  speak  to  the  jailer  and  have  him  arrange 
to  admit  yourself  and  me  to  the  jail  after  this  meeting  is 
over.'  I  then  recalled  the  crippled  boy,  whereupon  Lin- 
coln explained  that  when  his  father  married  his  second 
wife  she  had  a  son  about  his  own  age  —  John  D.  John- 
ston —  and  that  they  were  raised  together,  slept  together, 
and  loved  each  other  like  brothers.  The  crippled  boy  was  a 
son  of  that  foster-brother  and  was  rapidly  going  to  the 
bad.  'He  is  under  a  charge  of  stealing  a  gun  at  Charles- 
ton,' said  Lincoln  sadly,  'and  I  'm  going  to  help  him  out  of 
these  two  cases,  but  that 's  the  last.  After  that  if  he  wants 
to  continue  his  thieving  I  shall  do  nothing  more  for  him.' 

"The  jail  was  a  rude  log  cabin  structure  in  which  pris- 
oners were  put  in  through  a  trapdoor  in  the  second  story, 
there  being  no  other  entrance.  So  Lincoln  and  I  were 
admitted  into  the  small  enclosure  surrounding  the  jail, 
and  as  we  approached  the  one-foot  square  hole  through 
which  we  could  converse  with  the  prisoner,  he  heard  us 
and  set  up  a  hypocritical  wailing  and  thrust  out  toward 
us  a  very  dirty  Bible  which  Lincoln  took  and  turned  over 
the  leaves  mechanically.  He  then  said:  'Where  were  you 
going,  Tom? '  The  latter  attempted  to  reply,  but  his  wail- 
ing made  it  incoherent,  so  Lincoln  cut  it  short  by  saying: 
'Now,  Tom,  do  what  they  tell  you  —  behave  yourself  — 
don't  talk  to  any  one,  and  when  court  closes  I  will  be  here 
and  see  what  I  can  do  for  you.  Now  stop  crying  and  be- 
have yourself.'  And  with  a  few  more  words  we  left.  Lin- 
coln was  very  sad;  in  fact  I  never  saw  him  more  so. 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  HARRIET  CHAPMAN    53 

"At  the  fall  term  of  the  court  Amzi  McWilliams,  the 
prosecuting  attorney,  agreed  with  us  that  if  the  Greens 
would  come  into  court  and  state  that  they  did  not  desire 
to  press  the  case  further  he  would  file  a  nolle  pros.  That 
same  evening  Lincoln  and  others  were  to  speak  in  a  church 
in  Champaign,  and  at  my  suggestion  Lincoln  and  I  left 
the  meeting  and  made  our  way  to  the  house  where  the 
Greens  lived.  They  were  a  venerable  old  couple  and  we 
found  them  seated  in  their  humble  kitchen  greatly  aston- 
ished at  our  visit.  I  introduced  Lincoln,  who  explained 
his  position  and  wishes  in  the  matter  in  a  homely,  plain 
way,  and  the  good  old  couple  assented.  The  next  day 
they  came  into  court  and  formally  expressed  themselves 
willing  that  the  boy  should  be  released,  which,  as  the  rec- 
ords of  the  court  will  show,  was  promptly  done.'* 

I  cannot  pass  from  the  subject  of  Lincoln's  family  in 
the  early  days  without  mention  of  one  member  whom  I 
personally  knew  and  from  whose  lips  I  learned  much  that 
has  escaped  biographers  and  historians  save  what  she 
imparted  to  Herndon.  I  refer  to  Harriet  Chapman,  a 
daughter  of  Dennis  Hanks,  who  became  the  wife  of  Augus- 
tus H.  Chapman  and  who  died  not  long  since  in  Charles- 
ton, Illinois,  being  past  eighty  years  of  age.  The  lady  in 
her  youth  was  for  a  time  a  member  of  Abraham  Lincoln's 
household  in  Springfield.  It  was  not  long  after  Mr. 
Lincoln's  marriage  to  Mary  Todd  when  the  children  were 
still  small.  Mr.  Lincoln  had  invited  her  to  come  to 
Springfield  and  make  her  home  with  him,  with  which 
generous  invitation  she  finally  complied.  For  the  benefit 
of  the  author,  who  visited  her  at  her  home  in  Charleston 
several  times,  she  described  her  departure  and  journey 


54  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

from  the  latter  place  to  Springfield.  Lincoln  had  been 
attending  court  in  Charleston,  and  after  the  adjournment 
he  drove  to  the  home  of  Dennis  Hanks  from  which  point 
he  and  the  girl  set  out  for  Springfield.  The  conveyance 
was  a  wheeled  vehicle,  a  buggy,  perhaps,  drawn  by  a  bay 
mare  which  Lincoln  assured  his  fellow  passenger  he  had 
named  Belle.  Sometimes,  he  said,  he  called  her  Queen. 
The  ride  through  to  their  destination  consumed  parts  of 
two  days.  Mrs.  Chapman's  account  of  the  journey  and  her 
recollections  of  her  home  with  the  Lincolns  was  an  enter- 

.....  .  tV"1^  *   TT 

taming  and  in  some  respects  an  amusing  chapter.  •  Her 
purpose  was  to  attend  school  while  in  Springfield,  and  she 
lived  with  the  Lincolns  as  a  member  of  the  household  for 
about  a  year  and  a  half;  but  in  time  her  relations  with 
Mrs.  Lincoln  became  so  strained,  if  not  intolerable,  she 
found  it  a  relief  at  last  to  withdraw  and  return  to  her  home 
at  Charleston.  The  letters  she  wrote  to  Mr.  Herndon 
between  1865  and  1868,  and  which  are  still  in  my  posses- 
sion, afford  such  characteristic  and  relevant  glimpses  into 
Lincoln's  home  life  after  his  marriage  to  Mary  Todd  that 
I  venture  to  quote  a  few  lines. 

In  a  letter  written  at  Charleston,  Illinois,  November  21, 
1866,  she  says:  "You  ask  me  how  Mr.  Lincoln  acted  at 
home.  I  can  say,  and  that  truly,  he  was  all  that  a  hus- 
band, father,  and  neighbor  should  be.  Always  kind  and 
affectionate  to  his  wife  and  child  (Bob  being  the  only 
one  when  I  was  with  them)  and  very  pleasant  to  all 
about  him.  Never  did  I  hear  him  utter  an  unkind  word  to 
any  one.  For  instance,  one  day  he  undertook  to  correct 
his  child  and  his  wife  was  determined  that  he  should  not, 
and  attempted  to  take  it  from  him;  but  in  this  she  failed. 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  HARRIET  CHAPMAN    55 

She  tried  tongue-lashing,  but  met  with  the  same  fate, 
for  Mr.  Lincoln  corrected  his  child,  as  a  father  ought  to, 
in  the  face  of  his  wife's  anger,  and  that  too  without  chang- 
ing his  countenance  once  or  making  any  reply  to  her.  His 
favorite  way  of  reading  when  at  home  was  lying  on  the 
floor.  I  fancy  I  see  him  now  lying  full  length  in  the  hall 
of  his  old  home.  He  would  turn  a  chair  down  on  the  floor 
with  a  pillow  on  it.  He  was  very  fond  of  reading  poetry 
and  would  often,  when  he  appeared  to  be  in  a  brown 
study,  commence  reading  aloud  '  The  Burial  of  Sir  John 
Moore/  and  so  on.  He  often  told  laughable  jokes  and 
stories  when  he  thought  we  were  looking  sad  and  gloomy." 
The  letter  contains  this  additional  paragraph:  "Anything 
I  can  tell  you  regarding  Mr.  Lincoln  will  be  cheerfully 
given,  but  I  would  rather  omit  further  mention  of  his  wife, 
as  I  could  say  but  little  in  her  favor." 

In  a  letter  dated  December  10,  1866,  she  writes:  ""Mr. 
Lincoln  was  remarkably  fond  of  children.  One  of  his 
greatest  pleasures  when  at  home  was  that  of  nursing  and 
playing  with  his  little  boy.  He  was  what  I  would  call  a 
hearty  eater  and  enjoyed  a  good  meal  of  victuals  as  much 
as  any  one  I  ever  knew.  I  have  often  heard  him  say  that 
he  could  eat  corn  cakes  as  fast  as  two  women  could  make 
them,  although  his  table  at  home  was  set  very  sparingly. 
Mrs.  Lincoln  was  very  economical;  so  much  so  that  by 
some  she  might  have  been  pronounced  stingy.  Mr.  Lin- 
coln seldom  ever  wore  his  coat  when  in  the  house  at  home 
and  often  went  to  the  table  in  his  shirt-sleeves,  which 
practice  greatly  annoyed  his  wife  who,  by  the  way,  loved 
to  put  on  style." 


CHAPTER  V 

Lincoln's  several  proposals  of  marriage  —  Story  of  his  failure  to  join  Mary  Todd 
at  the  Edwards  home,  January,  1841  —  His  letter  to  John  T.  Stuart  —  Invita- 
tion to  John  Hanks  —  Preparations  for  the  marriage  to  Mary  Todd  —  The 
story  of  the  wedding  —  Judge  Browne's  amusing  interruption  —  Conflicting 
views  of  Springfield  people  —  Writer's  visit  to  and  interview  with  Ninian  W. 
Edwards  and  wife  —  Refusal  of  Mrs.  Simeon  Francis  to  tell  her  story. 

BEFORE  I  undertake  to  consider  Lincoln  as  a  lawyer,  I 
venture  to  digress  slightly  in  order  that  I  may  acquaint 
the  reader  with  some  of  the  things  I  have  learned  about 
him  in  another  role.  Adverting  to  the  story  of  his  activ- 
ity and  experience  in  the  field  of  matrimony  leads  me  to 
state  that  the  honor  which  would  have  been  Ann  Rut- 
ledge's  had  she  lived,  and  that  Mary  Owens  and  Sarah 
Rickard  successively  declined,  was  finally  accepted  by 
Mary  Todd.  Of  all  the  women,  contended  Herndon,  to 
whom  Mr.  Lincoln  paid  marked  or  serious  attention,  Mary 
Todd  was,  by  far,  the  strongest,  from  an  intellectual  stand- 
point, and  the  most  accomplished  generally;  and  it  only 
remains  to  add  that  she  was  also  the  only  one  whose  keen 
vision  penetrated  the  future  and  beheld  in  the  homely  face 
and  awkward  figure  of  her  tall  suitor  the  man  of  destiny. 
No  episode  in  Lincoln's  life  has  occasioned  greater 
diversity  of  opinion  among  the  people  of  Springfield  than 
the  story  of  his  marriage  to  Mary  Todd  as  told  by  Hern- 
don, who,  in  his  account  of  the  wedding,  which  was  first 
scheduled  to  take  place  January  i,  1841,  relates:  "Noth- 
ing was  lacking  but  the  groom.  For  some  strange  reason 
he  had  been  delayed.  An  hour  passed  and  the  guests  as 
well  as  the  bride  were  becoming  restless.  But  they  were 
all  doomed  to  disappointment.  Another  hour  passed; 


THE  BRIDEGROOM  DEFAULTS  57 

messengers  were  sent  out  over  town  and,  each  returning 
with  the  same  report,  it  became  apparent  that  Lincoln, 
the  principal  in  this  little  drama,  had  purposely  failed  to 
appear!  The  bride,  in  grief,  disappeared  to  her  room;  the 
wedding  supper  was  left  untouched;  the  guests  quietly  and 
wonderingly  withdrew;  the  lights  in  the  Edwards  mansion 
were  blown  out,  and  darkness  settled  over  all  for  the  night. 
What  the  feelings  of  a  lady  as  sensitive,  passionate,  and 
proud  as  Miss  Todd  were  we  can  only  imagine  —  no  one 
can  describe  them.  By  daybreak,  after  persistent  search, 
Lincoln's  friends  found  him.  Restless,  gloomy,  miserable, 
desperate,  he  seemed  an  object  of  pity.  His  friends,  Speed 
among  the  number,  fearing  a  tragic  termination,  watched 
him  closely  in  their  rooms  day  and  night.  Knives  and 
razors  and  every  instrument  that  could  be  used  for  self- 
destruction  were  removed  from  his  reach.  .  . .  His  condi- 
tion began  to  improve  after  a  few  weeks,  and  a  letter  writ- 
ten to  his  partner,  John  T.  Stuart,  January  23,  1841, 
three  weeks  after  the  scene  at  the  Edwards  house,  reveals 
more  perfectly  how  he  felt.  He  says:  'I  am  now  the  most 
miserable  man  living.  If  what  I  feel  were  equally  distrib- 
uted to  the  whole  human  family,  there  would  not  be 
one  cheerful  face  on  earth.  Whether  I  shall  ever  be  better, 
I  cannot  tell;  I  awfully  forebode  I  shall  not.  To  remain  as  I 
am  is  impossible.  I  must  die  or  be  better,  as  it  appears  to 
me.  I  fear  I  shall  be  unable  to  attend  to  any  business  here 
and  a  change  of  scene  might  help  me.  If  I  could  be  myself 
I  would  rather  remain  at  home  with  Judge  Logan.  I  can 


write  no  more.' 


Concerning  this  unusual  if  not  dramatic  episode  in 
Lincoln's  life,  as  described  by  Herndon,  there  remains 


58  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

but  little  for  me  to  say.  In  view  of  the  divided  sentiment 
among  the  Springfield  people  regarding  it  I  can  only  assure 
the  reader  that  I  have  no  theory  of  my  own  to  establish, 
and  shall  content  myself  by  presenting  as  briefly  as  I  can 
such  facts  as  I  have  been  able  to  gather  in  an  honest  and 
impartial  endeavor  to  ascertain  the  truth. 

As  shown  by  the  records  of  Sangamon  County,  Illinois, 
Abraham  Lincoln  and  Mary  Todd  were  married  in  Spring- 
field, Friday,  November  4,  1842.  Nowadays  the  average 
couple  would  shirk  from  plighting  their  vows  on  such  an 
unlucky  day  as  Friday,  but  to  this  pair  the  day  had  no 
such  terrors.  The  ceremony  took  place  at  the  residence  of 
Ninian  W.  Edwards  whose  wife  was  an  elder  sister  of  Miss 
Todd.  It  was  here  that  the  latter  had  made  her  home  since 
her  arrival  from  Kentucky  in  1839.  The  groom  had  passed 
his  thirty-third  birthday  and  his  bride  was  approaching 
her  twenty-fourth.  None  of  Mr.  Lincoln's  immediate 
family,  including  his  father,  stepmother,  stepbrother  and 
stepsisters,  all  of  whom  lived  in  Coles  County,  distant 
about  seventy-five  miles,  were  present.  Whether  invited 
or  not  no  one  seems  to  know.  The  only  invitation  ema- 
nating from  Lincoln  of  which  I  ever  heard  was  the  fol- 
lowing characteristic  note  sent  by  him  to  his  favorite 
cousin,  John  Hanks,  who  lired  near  the  town  of  Decatur 
and  who  was  his  companion  on  the  famous  flatboat  expe- 
dition to  New  Orleans  in  1831: 

DEAR  JOHN  — 

I  am  to  be  married  on  the  4th  of  next  month  to  Miss  Todd. 
I  hope  you  will  come  over.  Be  sure  to  be  on  deck  by  early  candle 
light.  Yours 

A.  LINCOLN 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  WEDDING  59 

I  did  not  see  this  note  in  the  original.  A  lady  living 
near  Decatur,  and  who  said  she  was  a  granddaughter  of 
John  Hanks,  furnished  me  a  copy. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Lincoln  and  Miss  Todd  was  sol- 
emnized by  the  Reverend  Charles  Dresser,  the  first  Epis- 
copalian clergyman  to  settle  in  Springfield.  It  was  also 
among  the  earliest  services  there  in  accordance  with  the 
Episcopalian  ritual;  for  Parson  Dresser  had  officiated  at 
only  eight  marriages  prior  to  this  one.  Of  course  all  the 
participants  as  well  as  all  the  witnesses  have  passed  away. 
Until  recently  one  of  the  latter,  the  late  Dr.  William 
Jayne,  was  still  living  in  Springfield.  He  was  a  boy  at  the 
time,  and  though  not  an  invited  guest  was  sent  to  the 
house  where  the  marriage  took  place  the  evening  of  the 
wedding  and  saw  the  guests  as  they  arrived.  The  groom 
had  two  best  men  or  attendants  in  the  persons  of  James  H. 
Matheney,  a  deputy  in  the  county  clerk's  office  —  later 
county  judge  —  and  Beverly  Powell,  salesman  in  the 
leading  store,  very  popular  and  conceded  to  be  the  best- 
dressed  man  in  town.  A  few  years  later  he  returned  to  his 
birthplace  in  Kentucky.  The  maids  of  honor  attending 
the  bride  were  Miss  Julia  Jayne,  afterwards  the  wife  of 
Lyman  Trumbull,  United  States  Senator,  and  Miss  Anne 
Rodney,  sister  of  the  wife  of  William  L.  May,  formerly 
Congressman  from  the  Springfield  district. 

In  my  time  it  has  been  my  privilege  to  meet  and  inter- 
view a  number  of  persons,  both  men  and  women,  who 
witnessed  the  marriage,  but  the  most  accurate  and  trust- 
worthy account  of  what  took  place  on  that  now  memor- 
able occasion  is  the  recollection  of  James  H.  Matheney, 
who,  as  stated,  was  Mr.  Lincoln's  close  friend  as  well  as 


60  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

groomsman.  During  my  sojourn  in  Springfield  many 
years  ago  I  spent  more  than  one  pleasant  afternoon  with 
Judge  Matheney.  In  the  flower  of  his  manhood  he  was  in 
complete  possession  of  all  his  faculties,  and  the  facts  were 
so  fresh  and  so  rigidly  fixed  in  his  mind  he  could  recall 
with  ease  the  minutest  detail.  Although  generous  in  im- 
parting his  information,  he  had  but  one  reservation  and 
that  was  to  refrain  from  making  public  some  things  he 
had  communicated  to  me  so  long  as  he  and  the  widow 
of  Lincoln  survived.  As  both  have  since  passed  away 
there  can  be  no  impropriety  in  putting  on  record  the 
facts  thus  obtained. 

The  marriage  was  originally  set  for  a  day  in  the  winter 
of  1840-41,  probably  New  Year's  Day,  and  Judge  Mathe- 
ney always  insisted  that  he  had  been  asked  to  serve  as 
groomsman  then;  but  Lincoln,  for  reasons  unnecessary 
to  detail  here,  having  failed  to  materialize  at  the  ap- 
pointed time,  an  estrangement  naturally  followed  and  he 
was  no  longer  enshrined  in  the  affections  of  Miss  Todd 
or  persona  grata  at  the  Edwards  home  where,  for  a  long 
time,  she  had  been  living.  Without  delving  further  into 
the  merits  of  this  luckless  and  regrettable  episode,  it  suf- 
fices to  add  that  in  the  course  of  time,  through  the  inter- 
cession of  the  wife  of  Simeon  Francis,  editor  of  the  "  Spring- 
field Journal,"  a  reconciliation  was  effected  and  the  couple 
duly  brought  together.  Meanwhile,  at  frequent  intervals, 
they  were  meeting  each  other  as  before,  but  never  at  the 
Edwards  residence  and  probably  without  the  knowledge 
of  the  Edwards  family. 

When  the  marriage  was  set  for  a  second  time  it  was 
planned  to  have  it  solemnized  by  the  pastor  at  his  own 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  WEDDING  61 

house  in  the  presence  of  a  few  close  friends;  but  a  day  or 
so  before  the  appointed  time,  when  Mr.  Edwards  first 
heard  of  it,  he  hunted  up  Lincoln  and  earnestly  protested 
on  the  ground  that  he  was  the  natural  protector  of  Miss 
Todd;  that  she  was  in  reality  a  member  of  his  family,  and 
that  the  marriage  ceremony  should  take  place,  if  at  all,  at 
his  home.  After  some  argument  Lincoln  and  Miss  Todd 
were  finally  won  over  to  his  view  of  the  case;  but  the  time 
was  short,  and  there  was  great  activity  and  hurried  prep- 
arations at  the  Edwards  mansion  in  consequence. 

At  that  early  day  Springfield,  although  the  capital  of 
the  State,  could  not  boast  of  a  confectioner,  and  the  reg- 
ulation caterer  had  not  yet  come  into  vogue.  The  town 
had  two  so-called  bakeries,  one  being  a  concern  operated 
by  John  Dickey  whose  leading  products  were  "gingerbread 
and  beer."  Of  course  a  bride's  cake  must  grace  the  wed- 
ding supper,  but  as  the  two  bakeries  were  scarcely  able 
within  the  required  time  to  produce  one  suited  to  the  oc- 
casion, recourse  was  had  elsewhere.  As  a  last  resort  the 
services  of  a  lady  renowned  for  her  skill  in  that  line, 
the  wife  of  a  Springfield  lawyer,  were  secured,  and  in  due 
time  a  cake  of  the  regulation  size  and  quality  decked  the 
festal  board.  Meanwhile,  in  view  of  the  limited  hours 
ahead,  certain  other  essentials  were  assigned  to  willing  and 
helpful  hands,  so  that,  as  we  are  assured  by  a  lady  who  was 
present,  "Mrs.  Edwards,  despite  the  hurry,  had  provided 
an  elegant  and  bountiful  supper,  and  the  wedding  itself 
was  pretty,  simple,  and  impressive." 

The  attendance  was  limited,  probably  not  over  forty 
persons  being  present.  "For  a  time  after  the  guests  ar- 
rived," related  Judge  Matheney,  "  there  was  more  or  less 


62  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

stiffness  about  the  affair  due,  no  doubt,  to  the  sudden 
change  of  plans  and  resulting  '  town  talk,'  and  I  could  not 
help  noticing  a  certain  amount  of  whispering  and  eleva- 
tion of  eyebrows  on  the  part  of  a  few  of  the  guests,  as  if 
preparing  each  other  for  something  dramatic  or  unlooked- 
for  to  happen.  Things  moved  awkwardly  —  at  least  not 
naturally  —  until,  during  the  ceremony,  an  interruption 
occurred  so  unusual  and  amusing  it  broke  the  ice,  divert- 
ing the  attention  of  the  guests  so  effectually  that  the  rest 
of  the  evening  passed  off  literally  as  'merry  as  a  marriage 
bell.'  In  the  company  was  a  man  named  Thomas  C. 
Browne,  one  of  the  judges  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the 
State.  He  was  a  Tennesseean  by  birth,  of  the  rough-and- 
ready  order,  corpulent  as  Falstaff,  vain,  coarse,  and  effu- 
sive. Despite  his  want  of  refinement,  due  to  the  lack  of 
early  training,  he  was,  nevertheless,  a  good  lawyer  and  a 
capable  judge.  During  the  ceremony,  as  provided  by  the 
ritual  of  the  Episcopalian  Church,  Lincoln,  the  groom, 
placed  the  wedding  ring  on  the  bride's  finger  reciting  very 
deliberately  after  the  rector  the  words;  'With  this  ring  I 
thee  wed,  and  with  all  my  worldly  goods  I  thee  endow/ 
To  Browne,  who  stood  near  Lincoln  and  who,  doubtless, 
had  never  before  witnessed  so  elaborate  and  impressive  a 
ceremony,  the  proceeding  was  ridiculous  if  not  absurd; 
for,  in  a  voice  loud  enough  to  be  heard  over  the  room,  he 
blurted  out, 'Lord  A'mighty,  Lincoln,  the  law  fixes  that ! ' ' 
And  now  at  last,  after  numerous  vicissitudes  and  strange 
chapters,  Abraham  Lincoln  was  safely  married.  A  few 
days  later  he  apprised  his  old  friend  Joshua  F.  Speed, 
then  living  in  Louisville,  and  who,  more  than  any  other 
man,  knew  the  inside  of  his  courtship  with  Mary  Todd, 


INTERVIEW  WITH  MR.  AND  MRS.  EDWARDS  63 

of  the  auspicious  beginning  of  his  new  life.  "We  are  not 
keeping  house,"  writes  Lincoln,  "but  boarding  at  the 
Globe  Tavern,  which  is  very  well  kept  by  a  widow  lady  of 
the  name  of  Beck.  Our  room  and  boarding  only  costs  us 
four  dollars  a  week." 

Mr.  Herndon's  version  of  the  Lincoln-Todd  courtship 
and  wedding,  as  I  have  already  stated,  had  the  effect  of 
evoking  from  many  people  in  Springfield  bitter  criticism 
for  his  lack  of  taste  in  making  the  disclosure,  and  in  some 
cases  stout  denial.  The  story  first  appeared  in  Ward  La- 
mon's  "Life  of  Lincoln,"  in  which  it  was  alleged  that  Lin- 
coln disappointed  Miss  Todd,  whom  he  had  promised  to 
wed,  by  failing  to  appear  at  the  time  and  place  agreed 
upon;  that  this  led  to  an  estrangement  between  them  and 
that  they  remained  apart  for  over  a  year  or  until  reunited 
through  the  diplomatic  instrumentality  of  Mrs.  Francis. 
When  I  was  in  Springfield  Herndon  told  me  the  story  sub- 
stantially as  it  appeared  in  the  Lamon  book  and  then 
advised  me  to  interview  Ninian  Edwards  and  wife,  both 
of  whom  were  living  and  would  no  doubt  communicate 
the  facts  as  they  recalled  them.  Accordingly  a  few  days 
later,  in  obedience  to  the  suggestion  of  Herndon,  I  visited 
the  Edwards  residence  and  found  both  husband  and  wife 
at  home.  This  is  what  my  diary  records: 

Thursday,  Dec.  20,  1883. 

Called  on  N.  W.  Edwards  and  wife.  Asked  about  marriage 
Mary  Todd  to  Lincoln  —  Mrs.  E.  said  arrangements  for  wed- 
ding made  —  even  cakes  baked  but  Lincoln  failed  to  appear. 
At  this  point  Mr.  Edwards  interrupted  —  cautioned  wife  she 
was  talking  to  newspaper  man  —  she  declined  to  say  more  — 
had  said  Mary  greatly  mortified  by  Mr.  Lincoln's  strange  con- 
duct. Later  were  reunited  —  finally  married. 


64  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

Herndon  also  furnished  me  the  address  of  Mrs.  Simeon 
Francis,  who  was  then  living  in  Oregon,  and  recom- 
mended that  I  apply  to  her  for  further  information,  as  in 
view  of  her  connection  with  the  episode  she  could  if  she  so 
desired  relate  the  facts  exactly  as  they  occurred  so  that 
posterity  might  know  the  truth.  Thus  encouraged  I  wrote 
the  lady  three  different  times,  reciting  the  story  as  it  em- 
anated from  Herndon  and  others,  and  urging  her  in  the 
interest  of  history  to  indicate  whether  Lincoln  in  his  suit 
for  the  hand  of  Mary  Todd  had  ignored  the  promise 
to  meet  her  at  the  hymeneal  altar  on  "that  fatal  ist  of 
January,  1841,"  or  otherwise  deceived  her.  She  acknowl- 
edged the  receipt  of  my  letters,  but  in  each  case  declined 
to  deny  the  story  or  further  enlighten  me  regarding  the 
subject,  on  the  ground  that,  as  Lincoln  and  his  wife 
were  both  dead,  she  felt  a  delicacy  in  disclosing  to  the 
world  all  the  details  of  their  courtship.  I  still  have  her 
letters. 


CHAPTER  VI 

Lincoln's  attitude  toward  the  ladies  —  His  attentions  to  Sarah  Rickard  —  What 
Mary  Owens  said  about  him  —  His  conduct  in  the  parlor  —  The  stag  literary 
society  —  How  he,  with  the  aid  of  Evan  Butler  and  James  Matheney,  punished 
the  drunken  shoemaker  —  His  bashfulness  —  Whitney's  account  of  his  em- 
barrassment before  the  ladies  at  Urbana  —  The  evening  at  Norman  B.  Judd's 
residence  —  What  Mrs.  Judd  recollected  —  Lincoln's  break  at  the  concert  — 
His  attentions  to  the  lady  performer  —  What  Davis  and  Swett  said  to  him  about 
it  —  His  reply. 

JUDGED  by  the  literature  of  the  day  thus  far,  the  world 
seemingly  has  come  to  the  conclusion  that  Lincoln  was 
both  an  ideal  lover  and  a  model  husband,  and  yet,  if  his- 
tory can  be  depended  upon,  it  does  not  always  happen 
that  a  man  so  profoundly  intellectual  as  he  was  makes 
an  exemplary  husband  or  in  every  case  an  adorable  and 
satisfactory  lover.  He  may  be  princely  in  demeanor  and 
angelic  in  temperament,  but,  in  the  language  of  a  lady 
to  whom  Lincoln  himself  once  offered  his  hand,  he  is 
generally  "deficient  in  those  little  links  that  make  up  the 
chain  of  a  woman's  happiness." 

While  Lincoln  was  far  from  the  conventional  ladies' 
man,  yet  no  one  more  deeply  appreciated  the  charms  of 
female  society.  It  was  David  Davis  who  said  that  on  more 
than  one  occasion  he  had  heard  Lincoln  "  thank  God  that 
he  was  not  born  a  woman."  Now  when  Lincoln  said  this 
he  had  in  mind  his  own  sympathetic  and  pliant  nature, 
and  he  therefore  feared  himself  when  subjected  to  the 
plausible  arguments  and  persuasive  influences  which,  it  is 
said,  so  often  sweep  a  woman  off  her  feet.  This  line  of 
reasoning  may,  perhaps,  serve  to  indicate  the  esteem  in 
which  he  held  woman's  will  and  powers  of  resistance;  but 


66  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

in  saying  what  he  did  he  certainly  underrated  his  own 
strength  and  inflexibility,  for  we  know  that,  when  put  to 
the  test,  no  man  ever  lived  who  could  say  "no"  more 
readily  and  abide  by  his  decision  with  more  resolution  and 
firmness. 

No  doubt  he  longed  for  and  enjoyed  the  attrition  of 
social  contact,  and  that  included  the  company  of  the 
ladies,  but  even  then  we  know  he  managed  to  hold  himself 
in  strict  repression.  Although  a  matchless  story-teller 
and  in  other  respects  admirably  entertaining,  he  was 
never  prominent  in  the  social  life  of  early  Springfield; 
but  whether  this  was  due  to  his  shortcomings  in  the  parlor 
and  ballroom,  his  self-conscious  lack  of  training  generally, 
or  to  pure  indifference,  it  is  difficult  to  determine.  Spring- 
field, it  should  be  remembered,  though  no  larger  or  more 
important  than  the  average  inland  prairie  town  in  the 
early  days  of  the  West,  had  its  aristocracy  and  social 
barriers  as  distinct  and  formidable  as  they  are  to-day. 
Evidence  in  support  of  this  statement  is  found  in  a  letter 
which  Mr.  Herndon  once  loaned  me,  written  by  Lincoln 
to  Mary  S.  Owens,  whose  hand  he  sought  in  marriage. 
"There  is  a  great  deal  of  flourishing  about  in  carriages 
here,"  he  writes,  "which  it  would  be  your  doom  to  see 
without  sharing  in  it.  You  would  have  to  be  poor  without 
the  means  of  hiding  your  poverty.  Do  you  believe  you 
could  bear  that  patiently?" 

In  addition  to  Ann  Rutledge,  whose  melancholy  history, 
but  for  the  indefatigable  and  exhaustive  researches  of 
Mr.  Herndon,  would  probably  never  have  been  preserved, 
we  know  that,  besides  Mary  Todd,  Lincoln  proposed  also 
to  Mary  S.  Owens  and  Sarah  Rickard.  With  the  story 


ATTENTIONS  TO  SARAH  RICKARD         67 

of  one  of  these  affaires  de  cceur  I  am  somewhat  familiar, 
because  through  the  assistance  of  Mr.  Herndon  I  was 
enabled  to  obtain  the  desired  information  from  original 
sources,  for  at  that  time  the  lady  interested  was  living  and 
easy  of  access.  In  her  interview  she  related  that  Mr. 
Lincoln  was  an  unusually  interesting  talker  with  many 
winning  and  even  fascinating  traits.  Just  how  ardent  and 
demonstrative  in  his  professions  of  love  he  was,  the  lady's 
intuitive  modesty  restrained  her  from  indicating;  but  she 
insisted  that  in  his  conduct  toward  her  no  one  could  have 
been  more  thoughtful  and  considerate.  He  was  delicate 
and  attentive  to  the  point  of  gallantry;  made  her  several 
beautiful  presents;  attended  her  at  numerous  social  func- 
tions and  escorted  her  to  the  various  public  entertain- 
ments of  the  period.  She  recalled  their  having  witnessed  a 
dramatization  or  rendition  of  "The  Babes  in  the  Wood," 
and  he  accompanied  her  to  the  first  real  theatrical  per- 
formance, with  the  regulation  stage  and  curtain,  ever 
given  in  Springfield.  Her  name  being  Sarah,  Lincoln,  in 
pressing  his  suit,  urged  that  because  the  Sarah  of  Bible 
times  became  the  wife  of  Abraham,  therefore,  she,  Sarah 
Rickard,  in  view  of  that  precedent,  was  foreordained  to 
marry  Abraham  Lincoln!  Droll  and  curious  though  this 
argument  was,  the  lady  admitted  that  it  was  not  without 
some  weight  in  her  own  mind,  but  that  it  failed  eventually 
to  win  her  consent  because  of  the  objection  of  an  elder 
sister  who  contended  that  she  was  too  young  to  think 
seriously  of  matrimony.  But  even  that  probably  was  not 
the  real  reason;  for,  in  a  letter  from  her  which  now  lies 
before  me,  Sarah  herself  says:  "Mr.  Lincoln  became  daily 
more  attentive  and  I  found  I  was  beginning  to  like  him; 


68  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

but  you  know  his  peculiar  manner  and  general  deport- 
ment would  not  be  likely  to  fascinate  a  young  lady  enter- 
ing the  society  world." 

In  this  connection  it  will  not  be  out  of  order  to  mention 
that  Joshua  F.  Speed,  who  was  Lincoln's  confidant  in  the 
affair  with  Mary  Todd,  furnished  Herndon,  after  Lin- 
coln's death,  with  copies  of  all  the  letters  the  latter  had 
written  him  regarding  that  strange  and  tempestuous  court- 
ship. In  transmitting  the  copies  Speed  asked  that  the 
name  of  a  certain  lady  which  was  frequently  mentioned 
therein  should  be  omitted  in  case  the  letters  ever  became 
public.  In  due  time  they  appeared  in  Lamon's  "Life  of 
Lincoln,"  but  the  name  was  carefully  withheld.  Not  long 
since  among  some  other  papers  I  found  Speed's  original 
letter  and  thus  learned  that  the  name  in  question  was 
"Sarah."  In  all  probability  it  was  Sarah  Rickard,  but 
why  Speed  wanted  it  omitted  I  have  never  been  able  to 
learn. 

It  is  hardly  fair  to  assume,  because  he  spent  his 
early  days  in  the  backwoods,  that  Lincoln  was  boorish 
or  lacked  the  essentials  of  true  politeness,  and  yet  his 
conduct  and  bearing  on  some  occasions  were  hardly  calcu- 
lated to  win  a  woman's  sincere  admiration  and  approval. 
This  is  very  clearly  demonstrated  by  an  incident  narrated 
by  Mary  Owens,  one  of  the  two  ladies  to  whom  fate 
reserved  the  distinction  of  having  declined  Lincoln's 
hand.  "On  one  occasion,"  she  writes  in  a  letter  to  Hern- 
don, "we  were  going  to  a  party  at  Uncle  Billy  Greene's. 
Mr.  Lincoln  was  riding  with  me  and  we  had  a  bad  branch 
to  cross.  The  other  gentlemen  were  very  officious  in  see- 
ing that  their  partners  got  safely  over.  We  were  behind, 


WHAT  MARY  OWENS  SAID  69 

he  riding  in,  never  looking  back  to  see  how  I  got  along. 
When  I  rode  up  behind  him  I  remarked:  'You  are  a  nice 
fellow!  I  suppose  you  did  not  care  whether  my  neck  was 
broken  or  not.'  He  laughingly  replied  (by  way  of  compli- 
ment, I  suppose)  that  he  knew  I  was  plenty  smart  to  take 
care  of  myself." 

Now  Lincoln  doubtless  thought  he  was  paying  Miss 
Owens  a  delicate  compliment  when  he  credited  her  with 
"spunk"  and  judgment  enough  to  look  out  for  herself; 
but  evidently  the  latter,  whose  notions  of  etiquette  and 
propriety  came  from  the  refined  associations  of  a  wealthy 
Kentucky  home,  was  not  inclined  to  view  his  inattention 
in  such  a  generous  and  forbearing  light.  And  yet  here  is 
what  she  said  of  him  in  a  letter  to  Herndon  after  Lincoln's 
death:  "In  many  things  Mr.  Lincoln  was  sensitive  to  a 
fault.  He  told  me  this  incident:  He  was  crossing  a  prairie 
one  day  and  saw  before  him  a  hog  'mired  down,'  to  use  his 
own  language.  He  was  rather  'fixed  up*  and  resolved  that 
he  would  pass  on  without  looking  at  the  shoat.  After  he 
had  gone  the  feeling  was  irresistible  and  he  had  to  look 
back;  and  the  poor  thing  seemed  to  say  wistfully:  'There, 
my  last  hope  is  gone ! '  Whereupon  he  got  down  and 
promptly  relieved  it  from  its  difficulty." 

While  Lincoln  has  left  us  practically  nothing  from  his 
pen  by  which  to  fix  his  real  estimate  of  womankind,  yet 
it  cannot  be  truthfully  said  we  are  entirely  without  other 
sources  of  information.  For  instance,  we  know  that,  al- 
though given  to  the  narration  of  an  endless  array  of  amus- 
ing and  oftentimes  equivocal  stories,  no  man  ever  heard 
him  question  or  reflect  upon  the  "good  name  or  fair  fame" 


70 

of  any  individual  woman.  He  detested  and  never  would 
repeat  neighborhood  scandal.  The  savory  morsels  which 
some  people  find  so  toothsome  and  delicious  under  their 
tongues  were  wholly  unpalatable  to  him.  If  he  happened 
to  narrate  a  story  in  which  the  wit  or  weakness  of  woman 
was  a  factor,  it  was  invariably  located  in  the  wilds  of  Ken- 
tucky or  southern  Indiana  or  some  other  region  equally 
remote.  Besides,  the  story  itself  was  so  ingeniously  told 
and  the  point  or  moral  so  obvious  and  suggestive,  no  one 
present  could  identify  the  heroine  by  name  because  no 
name  was  used  or  needed.  Thus,  it  will  be  observed  the 
reputation  of  every  woman  he  knew  was  safe  in  his  hands. 
In  the  winter  of  1838,  along  with  Evan  Butler,  James 
Matheney,  Milton  Hay  —  John  Hay's  uncle  —  and  other 
habitues  of  the  court-house,  Lincoln  joined  in  organizing 
a  debating  or  literary  society  which  met,  usually  in  the 
clerk's  office,  once  and  sometimes  twice  a  month.  It  was 
strictly  a  stag  affair,  the  ladies  not  being  represented. 
Among  other  things  a  poem  was  contributed  by  Mr. 
Lincoln.  Its  title,  if  it  had  any,  has  been  forgotten,  but 
James  Matheney,  who  served  as  secretary,  was  able 
when  I  last  saw  him  to  recall  a  few  verses.  Here  is  one 
stanza  which  I  have  in  his  handwriting: 

"Whatever  spiteful  fools  may  say, 
Each  jealous  ranting  yelper, 
No  woman  ever  went  astray 
Without  a  man  to  help  her. " 

Notwithstanding  his  characteristically  indulgent  and 
forbearing  nature,  Herndon  always  contended  that  Lin- 
coln had  less  charity  or  patience  than  the  average  person 
for  the  man  who  abused  his  wife  or  in  any  other  way  ig- 


PUNISHING  A  DRUNKEN  SHOEMAKER     71 

nored  his  marriage  vows.  Not  far  from  Hoffman's  Row, 
the  building  in  Springfield  in  which  the  early  courts  were 
held,  lived  a  shoemaker  who  was  given  to  the  rather  free 
use  of  intoxicants  and  who  almost  invariably  wound  up  a 
spree  by  whipping  his  wife.  One  day  Lincoln  called  the 
fellow  aside,  upbraided  him  for  his  brutality,  and  then 
admonished  him  that  if  he  ever  laid  violent  hands  on  his 
wife  again  a  drubbing  would  be  administered  so  vigorous 
he  would  not  soon  forget  it.  Meanwhile  he  apprised  Evan 
Butler  and  James  Matheney  of  his  threat  and  invited 
them  to  join  him  in  dealing  out  the  requisite  punishment 
if  the  offense  should  be  repeated.  "In  due  time,"  related 
Matheney  to  me,  "the  contingency  arose.  The  drunken 
shoemaker  had  forgotten  Lincoln's  warning.  It  was  late 
at  night  and  we  dragged  the  wretch  to  an  open  space  back 
of  a  store  building,  stripped  him  of  his  shirt  and  tied  him 
to  a  post.  Then  we  sent  for  his  wife,  and  arming  her  with 
a  good  stout  switch  bade  her  to  'light  in'  while  the  three 
of  us  sat  on  our  haunches  in  solemn  array  near  by  to  wit- 
ness the  execution  of  our  judgment.  The  wife,  a  little  re- 
luctant at  first,  soon  warmed  up  to  her  work,  and  em- 
boldened by  our  encouraging  and  sometimes  peremptory 
directions,  performed  her  delicate  task  lustily  and  well. 
When  the  culprit  had  been  sufficiently  punished,  Lincoln 
gave  the  signal  'Enough,'  and  he  was  released;  we  helped 
him  on  with  his  shirt  and  he  shambled  ruefully  toward  his 
home.  For  his  sake  we  tried  to  keep  all  knowledge  of  the 
affair  from  the  public;  but  the  lesson  had  its  effect,  for  if 
he  ever  again  molested  his  wife  we  never  found  it  out." 

No  better  illustration  of  how  Mr.  Lincoln   appeared 
socially,  or  rather  how  he  demeaned  himself  in  ladies' 


72  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

company,  is  obtainable  than  the  two  incidents  which 
follow,  and  which,  while  emphasizing  some  of  his  singular 
and  characteristic  traits,  are  also  noteworthy  in  that  they 
come  from  truthful  and  unquestioned  sources.  One  of 
them  was  communicated  to  me  both  verbally  and  in  writ- 
ing by  the  late  Henry  C.  Whitney.  The  testimony  of  this 
witness,  with  whom  I  spent  many  hours  in  Chicago  after 
he  had  removed  from  Urbana,  and  who  verified  so  much 
that  Herndon  had  told  me,  is  of  the  highest  value,  be- 
cause, for  almost  ten  years  prior  to  Lincoln's  election  to 
the  Presidency  in  1 860,  he  was  much  of  the  time  in  the 
latter's  company  as  the  two  made  their  way  from  county 
to  county  on  the  circuit.  "I  well  recollect,"  said  Whit- 
ney, "  that  Mr.  Lincoln  was  invited  to  join  me  and  my 
wife  at  tea  one  evening  at  the  residence  of  Mr.  Boyden, 
the  mayor  of  Urbana.  He  was  in  good  spirits  and  seemed 
to  be  at  perfect  ease  during  the  meal  and  afterwards, 
while  I  was  in  the  room;  but  later  I  was  called  out  for  a 
short  time  to  meet  a  client  who  was  awaiting  me  at  the 
front  gate.  When  I  returned,  the  party,  meanwhile,  hav- 
ing adjourned  to  the  parlor,  Mr.  Lincoln's  bearing  and 
manner  had  entirely  changed;  for  some  unexplained  rea- 
son he  was  laboring  under  the  most  painful  embarrassment 
and  appeared  to  be  as  demoralized  and  ill  at  ease  as  a 
bashful  country  boy.  Drawn  up  in  his  chair  and  gazing 
alternately  at  the  floor  and  ceiling,  he  would  put  his  arms 
behind  him  and  then  bring  them  to  the  front  again  as  if 
endeavoring  in  some  way  to  hide  them;  meanwhile  strug- 
gling, though  in  vain,  to  keep  his  long  legs  out  of  sight. 
His  discomfiture  was  so  plain  and  unmistakable  I  could 
not  help  pitying  the  poor  fellow,  and  yet  I  could  not 


AN  EVENING  AT  NORMAN  B.  JUDD'S      73 

understand  it  unless  it  was  because  he  was  alone  in  a  room 
with  three  women,  for  no  one  was  present  but  Mrs.  Boy- 
den,  my  wife,  and  her  mother."  Evidently  Sarah  Rickard, 
who  had  declined  to  marry  Lincoln,  was  not  without 
a  woman's  intuitive  discernment  when  she  protested  to 
Herndon  that  the  former's  "peculiar  manner  and  general 
deportment  were  not  calculated  to  fascinate  a  young  lady 
entering  the  society  world." 

The  second  incident,  which  describes  Lincoln  under 
similar  circumstances  on  another  occasion,  is  equally  well 
authenticated  besides  narrated  by  a  woman  herself.  In 
September,  1857,  Lincoln  was  in  Chicago  attending  the 
United  States  Circuit  Court  where  he  was  engaged  in 
the  trial  of  the  noted  Rock  Island  Bridge  case.  During 
his  stay  there  he  was  invited  to  spend  an  evening  at  the 
home  of  Norman  B.  Judd,  one  of  his  valued  friends,  a 
lawyer  and  associated  in  the  same  case.  Several  ladies 
were  present.  What  occurred  and  how  Lincoln  bore  him- 
self is  so  graphically  and  entertainingly  told  in  an  account 
written  many  years  ago  for  Herndon  by  the  wife  of  Mr. 
Judd,  I  feel  that  the  portrait  of  Lincoln  which  I  am  trying 
to  draw  would  be  incomplete  without  it.  After  announcing 
the  fact  of  Mr.  Lincoln's  arrival  and  describing  the  sur- 
roundings —  they  were  sitting  on  the  piazza  in  plain  view 
of  Lake  Michigan  with  the  full  moon  throwing  "a  flood  of 
silvery  light  upon  the  dancing  waves"  —  the  writer  un- 
dertakes to  indicate  the  effect  of  the  scene  on  her  visitor. 

"Mr.  Lincoln,  whose  home,"  she  writes,  "was  far  in- 
land from  the  Great  Lakes,  seemed  stirred  by  the  won- 
drous beauty  of  the  scene  and  by  its  very  impressiveness 
was  carried  away  from  all  thoughts  of  the  earth.  In  that 


74  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

high-pitched  but  smooth-toned  voice  he  began  to  speak  of 
the  mystery  which  for  ages  enshrouded  and  shut  out  those 
distant  worlds  above  us  from  our  own;  of  the  poetry  and 
beauty  which  was  seen  and  felt  by  seers  of  old  when  they 
contemplated  Orion  and  Arcturus  as  they  wheeled  seem- 
ingly around  the  earth  in  their  mighty  course;  of  the  dis- 
coveries since  the  invention  of  the  telescope  which  had 
thrown  a  flood  of  light  and  knowledge  on  what  before 
was  incomprehensible  and  mysterious;  of  the  wonderful 
computations  of  scientists  who  had  measured  the  miles  of 
seemingly  endless  space  which  separated  the  planets  in 
our  solar  system  from  our  central  sun  and  our  sun  from 
other  suns  which  were  now  gemming  the  heavens  above  us 
with  their  resplendent  beauty. 

"When  the  night  air  became  too  chilly  to  remain  longer 
on  the  piazza,  we  went  into  the  parlor  where,  seated  on 
the  sofa  his  long  limbs  stretching  across  the  carpet  and 
his  arms  folded  about  him,  Mr.  Lincoln  went  on  to  speak 
of  the  discoveries  and  inventions  which  had  been  made 
during  the  long  lapse  of  time  between  the  present  and 
those  early  days  when  man  began  to  make  use  of  the  ma- 
terial things  about  him.  He  speculated  upon  the  possi- 
bilities of  the  knowledge  which  an  increased  power  of  the 
lens  would  give  in  the  years  to  come,  and  then  the  won- 
derful discoveries  of  late  centuries,  as  proving  that  beings 
endowed  with  such  capabilities  as  man  must  be  immortal 
and  created  for  some  high  and  noble  end  by  Him  who  had 
spoken  these  numberless  worlds  into  existence. 

"We  were  all  indescribably  impressed,"  continues  Mrs. 
Judd,  "by  Mr.  Lincoln's  conversation.  After  he  had  gone 
Mr.  Judd  remarked:  'The  more  I  see  of  Mr.  Lincoln  the 


AT  A  CONCERT  75 

more  I  am  surprised  at  the  range  of  his  attainments 
and  the  wonderful  store  of  knowledge  he  has  acquired 
in  the  various  departments  of  science  and  learning  dur- 
ing the  years  of  his  constant  labor  at  the  bar.  A  professor 
at  Yale  could  not  have  been  more  entertaining  and  in- 


structive.' " 


Lincoln  was  never  oracular,  though  when  not  unduly 
embarrassed  he  was  easily  the  leader  in  conversation. 
Like  all  truly  great  men  he  was  a  good  listener.  He  loved 
to  slip  away  from  his  fellow  lawyers,  while  out  on  the 
circuit,  to  attend  a  concert,  panorama,  or  other  like  enter- 
tainment at  the  town  hall  or  academy.  He  had  an  insa- 
tiable fondness  for  negro  minstrelsy  and  seemed  to  ex- 
tract the  greatest  delight  from  the  crude  jokes  and  harm- 
less fun  of  the  black-faced  and  red-lipped  performers. 
Frequently,  as  if  awakened  from  a  spell  of  abstraction  by 
something  exuberantly  funny,  he  would  blurt  out  in  a 
laugh  louder  than  any  one  around  him.  Herndon  told  me 
that  he  and  Lincoln,  on  their  way  homeward  from  the 
office  one  night,  passed  a  public  hall  in  which  a  church 
or  benevolent  society  was  giving  an  entertainment. 
They  decided  to  go  in.  Although  they  entered  the  room  at 
the  same  time,  they  were  not  seated  together  —  Lincoln 
having  slid  over  to  a  seat  next  to  the  wall  and  somewhat 
in  the  rear.  Among  other  things  on  the  programme  they 
heard  for  the  first  time  the  story  of  "Miss  Flora  Mc- 
Flimsy  With  Nothing  to  Wear"  rendered  by  an  elocu- 
tionist. The  piece,  then  newly  published  and  rather  popu- 
lar, was  a  long  one,  containing  over  three  hundred  lines  of 
rhyme.  In  one  place  near  the  middle  and  not  intended  to 
be  especially  humorous,  some  one  in  the  audience  broke 


76  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

out  in  a  guffaw,  as  loud  as  it  was  sudden  and  unexpected. 
Everybody  turned  in  his  seat  and  gazed  in  the  direction 
whence  the  disturbance  came.  There  sat  Lincoln  looking 
sheepish  and  guilty.  Something  in  the  piece  had  struck 
his  funny-bone  and,  despite  his  surroundings,  had  forced 
the  interruption  from  him.  Realizing  that  every  eye  was 
now  focused  on  him  he  slid  down  in  his  seat  and  blushed 
like  a  school-girl. 

Mr.  Whitney  told  me  that  a  company  of  singers  known 
as  the  Newhall  Family  traveled  over  Illinois  in  ante- 
bellum times  giving  concerts.  "  If  they  struck  a  town  where 
Lincoln  happened  to  be,"  said  Whitney,  "he  would  in- 
variably arrange  his  affairs  so  that  he  could  be  at  the 
church  or  town  hall  in  time  to  attend  their  entertainment. 
No  trial,  consultation,  or  business  engagement  of  any 
kind  was  allowed  to  interfere.  To  most  of  us  the  thing  for 
a  time  seemed  more  or  less  strange  until  finally  the  real 
reason  developed.  It  was  Lincoln's  predilection  for  a 
woman.  One  of  the  performers  was  a  Mrs.  Hillis.  She  was 
not  especially  prepossessing  in  appearance,  although  a 
good  singer,  but  she  had  somewhere  made  the  acquaint- 
ance of  Lincoln  and  appeared  to  manifest  a  decided  fancy 
for  him.  She  would  give  him  a  smile  of  recognition  if  she 
saw  him  in  the  audience,  and  the  two  often  were  seen 
talking  to  each  other  if  they  chanced  to  meet,  as  they 
sometimes  did,  at  the  tavern  or  elsewhere.  The  attrac- 
tion was  a  little  unusual  for  Lincoln,  who  was  particularly 
thoughtful  in  matters  of  that  kind.  Finally  when  Judge 
Davis,  Leonard  Swett,  and  others  equally  close  to  him 
became  aware  of  it,  they  began  to  prod  him  about  it  and 
with  mock  gravity  ventured  to  remind  him  of  his  duty  as 


MRS.  HILLIS,  THE  SINGER  77 

a  married  man,  the  danger  of  entangling  alliances,  etc. 
'Don't  trouble  yourselves,  boys,'  was  his  retort;  'there  's 
no  danger.  She  's  actually  the  only  woman  in  the  world, 
outside  of  my  wife,  who  ever  dared  to  pay  me  a  compli- 
ment, and  if  the  poor  thing  is  attracted  to  my  handsome 
face  and  graceful  figure  it  seems  to  me  you  homely  fellows 
are  the  last  people  on  earth  who  ought  to  complain.' ' 

Mr.  Whitney's  account  of  the  foregoing  episode  is  con- 
firmed by  the  testimony  of  no  less  a  person  than  Mrs. 
Hillis  herself.  She  was,  as  Mr.  Whitney  relates,  a  member 
of  the  Newhall  Family,  a  somewhat  noted  company  of 
singers  which,  in  the  fifties,  made  the  rounds  of  the  various 
towns  in  Illinois,  Michigan,  and  Indiana,  giving  concerts 
extending  over  a  period,  sometimes  of  two  days,  and,  in 
some  instances,  almost  a  week  at  a  stretch.  The  troupe 
consisted  of  the  parents,  two  sisters,  a  brother,  and  a 
brother-in-law.  It  was  before  the  day  of  the  modern  rail- 
road so  that  most  of  their  traveling  was  done  by  stage  or 
private  conveyance.  After  her  marriage  Miss  Newhall,  the 
lady  mentioned,  bore  the  name  Lois  E.  Hillis.  Being  an 
accomplished  musician  she  frequently  taught  music  and, 
late  in  the  eighties,  she  communicated  to  William  J.  An- 
derson, one  of  her  pupils,  an  account  of  her  experiences  as 
a  concert  performer  which  he  promptly  reduced  to  writing 
and  carefully  preserved.  In  her  reminiscences  Mrs.  Hillis 
described  her  first  meeting  with  Mr.  Lincoln  and  how  he 
impressed  her  and  her  sister  as  well  as  the  other  members 
of  the  concert  company.  She  related  that  one  evening  at 
the  hotel  where  Lincoln  had  for  some  time  been  a  so- 
journer,  one  of  the  group  of  lawyers  gathered  there, 
anxious  for  a  little  fun  at  Lincoln's  expense,  arose  and 


78  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

exclaimed:  "Now,  Lincoln,  you  have  been  listening  to 
and  for  almost  a  week  enjoying  the  delightful  music  pro- 
duced by  these  ladies,  and  it  therefore  only  seems  fair  to 
the  rest  of  us  that  you  should,  in  turn,  entertain  them 
by  singing  some  of  the  songs  for  which  you  are  already 
famous."  Of  course  this  demand  elicited  the  approval 
of  everybody  present,  but  it  only  served  to  evoke  from 
Lincoln  a  refusal  to  comply.  He  protested  that  he  had 
never  sung  a  song  in  his  life  and  loudly  declared  that  he  did 
not  propose  to  jeopardize  his  reputation  as  a  musician  by 
attempting  it  then. 

"Meanwhile,  my  sister  and  I,"  relates  Mrs.  Hillis, 
"were  anxious  that  Mr.  Lincoln  should  sing.  Each  of  us, 
for  some  reason,  had  taken  a  great  liking  to  him.  We  had, 
it  is  true,  heard  him  speak  several  times,  but  that  did  not 
impress  us  so  much  as  his  pleasing  personality  and  his 
happy  manner  toward  women.  He  listened  for  a  while  to 
our  urgent  solicitation,  and  then,  with  a  threatening  look 
at  the  other  lawyers  who  were  enjoying  his  embarrass- 
ment, he  turned  on  his  heel  and  announced  that  as  the 
hour  was  late  he  was  going  upstairs  to  bed.  There  was  a 
melodeon  in  the  room  at  which  I  was  sitting,  and  just  as 
he  passed  I  looked  up  into  his  face  and  said: 

"  'Mr.  Lincoln,  if  you  have  a  song  that  you  can  sing,  I 
know  that  I  can  play  the  accompaniment.  If  you  will  just 
tell  me  what  it  is,  I  can  follow  you  even  if  I  am  not  fa- 
miliar with  it.' 

"Although  visibly  embarrassed,  he  laughed  and  ex- 
claimed: 

"  'Why,  Miss  Newhall,  if  it  would  save  my  soul,  I 
could  n't  imitate  a  note  that  you  would  touch  on  that  in- 


RECITING  A  POEM  79 

strument.  I  never  sang  in  my  life;  and  those  fellows  know 
it.  They  are  simply  trying  to  make  fun  of  me!' 

"Noticing  my  disappointment,  he  paused  a  moment 
and  said: 

"  *  But  I  '11  tell  you  what  I  am  willing  to  do.  Inasmuch 
as  you  and  your  sister  have  been  so  kind  and  entertained 
us  so  generously,  I  shall  try  to  return  the  favor.  Of  course 
I  can't  produce  music,  but  if  you  will  be  patient  and  brave 
enough  to  endure  it,  I  will  repeat  for  your  benefit  several 
stanzas  of  a  poem  of  which  I  am  particularly  fond.' 

"Then  stepping  to  the  doorway  which  led  from  the 
parlor  to  the  stairway  and  leaning  against  the  casing,  for 
he  seemed  too  tall  for  the  frame,  and  half  closing  his  eyes, 
he  repeated  the  lines  of  *O,  Why  Should  the  Spirit  of  Mor- 
tal Be  Proud!' 

"It  was  the  first  time  we  had  ever  heard  Mr.  Lincoln 
recite  the  poem,  'and  it  was,  indeed,  so  impressive  that 
when  he  had  finished,  all  occasion  for  joking  and  raillery 
had  passed  away.  I  remember  I  was  so  deeply  moved 
that  I  could  scarcely  restrain  my  tears.  As  he  passed 
me  on  his  way  upstairs  I  ventured  to  ask  him  who  wrote 
the  poem. 

"  'My  dear  Miss  Newhall,'  he  answered,  CI  regret  to  say 
that  I  do  not  know.  But  if  you  really  like  it,  I  will  write  it 
out  for  you  to-night  before  I  go  to  bed,  and  leave  a  copy 
on  the  table  so  that  you  may  have  it  to  read  when  you  sit 
down  to  breakfast.' 

"The  next  morning  I  was  sitting  at  the  breakfast-table 
eating  by  candlelight.  I  recall  very  distinctly  that  I  was 
eating  pancakes,  and  was  in  the  act  of  cutting  one,  holding 
it  with  my  fork  while  I  wielded  the  knife,  when  I  became 


8o  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

conscious  that  some  one  was  behind  and  bending  over  me. 
A  big  hand  took  hold  of  my  left  hand,  covering  it  on  the 
table,  and  with  his  right  hand,  over  my  shoulder,  he  laid 
down  a  sheet  of  paper  covered  with  writing,  in  front  of  my 
plate.  I  realized  it  was  Mr.  Lincoln.  He  told  me  that  he 
was  due  to  leave  town  in  a  few  minutes,  and  as  he  moved 
away,  he  looked  back,  waved  his  hand,  exclaiming,  *  Good- 
bye, my  dear!'  and  passed  through  the  door.  It  was  the 
last  time  I  ever  saw  him." 


CHAPTER  VII 

Lincoln's  passion  for  women  —  How  he  dealt  with  them  —  Herndon's  testi- 
mony —  Interviewing  one  of  Lincoln's  female  clients  —  Her  story  of  his  conduct 
—  Lincoln  on  the  circuit  —  Avoiding  social  functions  —  Fondness  for  concerts 
and  like  entertainments  at  the  town  hall  —  Accompanying  Henry  C.  Whitney 
to  the  negro  minstrel  show  in  Chicago  —  Efforts  of  author  to  determine  if 
Lincoln  attended  lecture  by  Thackeray  in  St.  Louis  —  Lincoln's  status  as  a 
married  man  —  His  wife's  temperament  and  its  effect  on  him  —  Her  traits  of 
character  —  Her  management  of  the  household  —  Her  experience  with  Spring- 
field tradesmen. 

MENTION  of  Lincoln  as  a  society  or  family  man  serves  to 
recall  some  of  the  things  illustrating  that  phase  of  his 
make-up  which  came  to  the  surface  before  his  intimates 
and  professional  brethren  —  the  most  competent  of  wit- 
nesses —  had  all  passed  away.  Following  is  the  written , 
testimony  of  Herndon,  of  deep  significance  and  value,  be- 
cause it  is  exactly  as  recorded  by  him: 

"Mr.  Lincoln  had  a  strong,  if  not  terrible  passion  for 
women.  He  could  hardly  keep  his  hands  off  a  woman,  and 
yet,  much  to  his  credit,  he  lived  a  pure  and  virtuous  life. 
His  idea  was  that  a  woman  had  as  much  right  to  violate 
the  marriage  vow  as  the  man  —  no  more  and  no  less.  His 
sense  of  right  —  his  sense  of  justice  —  his  honor  forbade 
his  violating  his  marriage  vow.  Judge  Davis  said  to  me  in 
1 865,  *  Mr.  Lincoln's  honor  saved  many  a  woman,'  and  this 
is  true  to  the  spirit.  This  I  know  on  my  own  knowledge.  I 
have  seen  Lincoln  tempted  and  I  have  seen  him  reject  the 
approach  of  woman." 

In  this  connection  I  venture  to  relate  an  experience  of 
my  own.  One  day  in  Springfield  I  was  sitting  in  the  room 
which  Lincoln,  for  a  few  days  prior  to  his  removal  to 


82  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

Washington  in  February,  1861,  had  used  as  an  office, 
when  I  was  joined  by  Mr.  Herndon  who  had  asked  me  to 
meet  him  there.  In  due  time  our  conversation  drifted  to- 
ward Lincoln,  a  subject  of  such  intense  and  engaging  inter- 
est that  sunset  found  us  still  absorbed  in  the  discussion  of 
that  great  and  marvelous  character.  Herndon  did  most 
of  the  talking,  nor  did  he  manifest  the  slightest  sign  of  im- 
patience at  the  fusillade  of  curious  and  unusual  questions 
I  asked  him.  I  remember  among  other  things  how  admir- 
ably he  enlightened  me  regarding  Mr.  Lincoln's  moral  and 
professional  standards,  his  personal  habits,  his  conduct 
and  bearing  in  court,  including  the  narration  of  some  of  his 
apt  and  incomparable  stories.  He  even  went  so  far  as  to 
imitate  Lincoln's  voice  and  gesture  in  the  delivery  of  a 
speech.  To  me  it  was  a  revelation  so  vivid  and  fruitful  I 
felt,  when  we  separated  for  the  day,  almost  as  if  I  had 
been  in  Lincoln's  presence. 

"In  order  that  you  may  judge  of  Mr.  Lincoln's  habits 
in  dealing  with  people  professionally,"  said  Herndon,  "in- 
cluding his  demeanor  and  conduct  toward  the  fair  sex,  and 
thus  enable  you  to  determine  how  near  the  truth  my  esti- 
mate of  the  man  is,  I  am  going  to  send  you  to  a  woman  who 
was  once  a  client  of  ours  and  who,  if  you  succeed  in  finding 
her  and  induce  her  to  talk,  can  tell  you  how  Mr.  Lincoln 
behaved  as  a  man  and  lawyer  as  well  as  how  he  treated 
her."  Mr.  Herndon  further  explained  that  at  an  early  day 
the  woman,  handicapped  by  a  shady  reputation,  had  landed 
in  court  charged  with  keeping  a  house  of  ill-repute  or  some 
like  offense,  had  counseled  with  Lincoln  and  himself  and 
retained  them  to  represent  her.  "She  is  well  along  in 
years,"  continued  Herndon, "  and  although  I  have  not  seen 


A  WOMAN'S  RECOLLECTIONS  83 

her  for  a  long  time  I  have  been  assured  on  reliable  authority 
that  now  and  for  some  time  past  she  has  been  leading  a 
correct  and  becoming  life." 

In  compliance  with  Mr.  Herndon's  suggestion  I  started 
out  in  search  of  the  woman  and  after  diligent  inquiry  lo- 
cated her.  At  first,  when  I  sought  to  interrogate  her,  she 
was  somewhat  reticent  if  not  really  unresponsive,  but  when 
I  explained  that  Mr.  Herndon  had  sent  me  to  see  her  with 
the  assurance  that  her  name  should  not  be  used,  she  grad- 
ually relented  and  eventually  answered  all  my  questions. 
She  admitted  that  she  had  employed  Lincoln  and  Herndon 
to  look  after  her  interests  when  her  case  came  up  in  court. 
The  first  thing  done  was  to  ask  for  a  change  of  venue,  which, 
having  been  granted,  she  and  the  witnesses,  some  of  whom 
were  female  inmates  of  her  own  household,  others  sundry 
gentlemen  of  gay  and  sportive  tendency,  were  obliged  to 
travel  a  short  distance  over  the  country  to  another  court. 
"  There  was  a  good  crowd  of  us,"  she  related,  "  and  a  live- 
lier delegation  never  drove  over  the  prairies.  As  to  the  be- 
havior and  actions  of  Mr.  Lincoln,  I  must  say  it  was  in 
every  respect  correct  so  that  I  can  recall  nothing  improper 
or  out  of  place  about  it.  Of  course  he  talked  to  me  a  good 
deal,  and  for  that  matter  to  the  other  ladies  too." 

"Where  and  when  was  it  he  talked  to  you?"  I  asked. 

"Sometimes  in  the  office,  sometimes  in  the  court-house, 
and  sometimes  elsewhere." 

"Did  he  ever  talk  with  you  alone?" 

"Yes,  I  have  frequently  been  in  his  office  and  spoken  to 
him  when  no  one  else  was  there." 

"What  did  he  talk  about?" 

"Usually  about  business;  also  many  other  things  that 


84  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

suggested  themselves.  The  truth  is  he  was  an  interesting 
talker  on  all  subjects.*' 

"How  did  he  conduct  himself?  Was  he  agreeable?" 

"To  me  he  seemed  always  a  gentleman.  I  could  see 
nothing  wrong  or  unpleasant  about  him." 

"  Did  you  hear  him  tell  any  stories  ? " 

"Yes;  a  good  many." 

"Were  any  of  these  stories  told  when  you  and  he  were 
alone?" 

"Yes;  and  I  remember  that  he  told  some  when  one  or 
more  of  the  ladies  who  accompanied  me  were  present." 

"What  kind  of  stories  were  they?" 

"Various  kinds.  Of  course  I  can't  describe  them  now, 
but  I  remember  that  they  were  all  very  much  alike  in  one 
particular  and  that  is  that  they  were  usually  funny." 

"Were  any  of  them  suggestive  or  objectionable?" 

"No,  I  do  not  think  they  were." 

"Then  what  would  you  say  about  their  propriety;  that 
is,  would  you  consider  what  he  said  unfit  to  be  told  in 
polite  society  or  in  the  company  of  ladies?" 

The  last  question  was  evidently  more  or  less  of  a  tax  on 
the  old  woman's  memory  or  perhaps  her  conception  of  pro- 
priety; for  she  hesitated  a  few  moments,  as  if  buried  in 
thought,  before  she  answered;  but  she  soon  rallied  and  then 
responded: 

"No,  although  some  of  the  things  he  said  were  very 
amusing  and  made  me  as  well  as  the  others  laugh,  I  do  not 
think  it  would  be  fair  to  call  them  improper;  in  fact,  I  be- 
lieve they  could  with  safety  have  been  told  in  the  presence 
of  ladies  anywhere."  At  this  point  the  witness  halted 
again,  but  only  an  instant;  for  she  promptly  recovered  her 


AVOIDING  SOCIAL  FUNCTIONS  85 

equanimity  and  concluded  her  testimony  with  the  following 
emphatic  and  sententious  declaration  which  I  have  never 
forgotten:  "But  that  is  more  than  I  can  say  for  Bill  Hern- 
don." 

While  out  on  the  circuit  the  lawyers  of  Lincoln's  day 
were  frequently  invited  to  spend  the  evening  at  some  hos- 
pitable home,  attend  a  ball,  or  take  part  in  the  various 
social  functions  of  that  period.  Judge  Davis  was  a  fre- 
quent attendant,  but  Lincoln  avoided  them  whenever  he 
could.  The  interchange  of  ideas  and  small  talk  generally 
one  encounters  on  such  occasions  seemed  to  have  no  charm 
for  him.  "  I  have  known  him,"  said  Whitney,  "  to  sit  in  his 
room  all  alone  an  entire  evening  while  the  rest  of  us  were 
away  at  a  ball  or  party  somewhere,  and  when  we  returned 
we  would  find  him  rolled  up  and  sound  asleep  in  his  bed. 
The  only  place  besides  the  tavern  or  some  inviting  lawyer's 
office  he  cared  to  visit  of  an  evening  was  a  public  entertain- 
ment at  the  town  hall,  and  even  in  that  event  he  would 
often  try  to  slip  away  from  the  rest  of  us  so  that  on  his 
arrival  there  he  could  drop  into  a  seat  in  an  obscure  nook 
or  corner  of  the  room  and  enjoy  the  show  without  being 
seen." 

Mr.  Lincoln's  partiality  for  the  time-honored  concert 
or  dramatic  exhibition  at  the  academy  or  town  hall  —  a 
predilection  so  pronounced  that  David  Davis  and  certain 
other  friends  could  never  agree  whether  it  was  a  weakness 
or  only  a  peculiarity  —  calls  to  mind  another  penchant  of 
his,  and  that  is  the  conventional  negro  minstrel  show.  Of 
this  type  of  entertainment,  which  I  have  alluded  to  before, 
he  was  inordinately  fond.  "  In  the  latter  part  of  March, 
1860,"  wrote  Mr.  Whitney  to  me  several  years  ago,  "I  re- 


86  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

member  Mr.  Lincoln  was  in  Chicago  attending  the  United 
States  Court,  where  I  met  him.  It  was  less  than  two  months 
before  the  convention  which  nominated  him  for  President. 
Three  tickets  to  Rumsey  and  Newcomb's  Minstrels,  a  high- 
toned  troupe,  having  been  presented  to  me,  I  hunted  up 
Lincoln  and  asked  him  if  he  would  like  to  go  to  a  'nigger 
show*  that  night.  He  assented  rapturously  exclaiming: 
'Of  all  things  I  would  rather  do  to-night  that  certainly  is 
one.'  He  and  I  witnessed  the  performance  and  I  never  saw 
him  enjoy  himself  more  than  he  did  that  night.  He  ap- 
plauded as  often  as  anybody  and  with  greater  animation. 
The  nondescript  song  and  dance  of  'Dixie*  was  sung  and 
acted  by  the  troupe,  the  first  time  I  ever  saw  it,  and  prob- 
ably the  first  time  it  was  sung  and  acted  in  Illinois.  I  can 
remember  well  the  spontaneity  of  Lincoln's  enthusiasm 
and  the  heartiness  of  his  applause  at  the  music  and  action 
of  this  rollicking  and  anomalous  performance.  Little  did  we 
think  that  this  weird  and  harmless  melody  would  erelong 
be  transformed  into  a  fierce  battle-cry  by  whose  inspira- 
tion slaughter  and  carnage  would  be  carried  into  the  ranks 
of  those  who  bared  their  bosoms  to  save  the  nation's  life. 
Little  did  we  think  of  this  as  he  clapped  his  great  brawny 
hands  in  true  rustic  heartiness  and  exclaimed  in  riotous 
enthusiasm:  'Let's  have  it  again!  Let's  have  it  again!" 

Several  years  ago  my  friend  General  James  Grant  Wilson, 
of  New  York,  a  great  admirer  of  the  renowned  Thackeray, 
and  who  was  then  at  work  on  his  book  "Thackeray  in  the 
United  States,"  wrote  me  a  letter  in  which  he  said  that 
Thackeray  gave  one  of  his  readings  before  a  crowded  house 
in  St.  Louis  March  26, 1856,  and  it  had  been  reported  that 


THACKERAY  IN  ST.  LOUIS  87 

Lincoln  was  in  the  audience.  Having  been  told  that 
Lincoln  occasionally  visited  St.  Louis,  General  Wilson, 
trusting  that  the  report  was  true,  was  anxious  to  state  in 
his  book  that  the  former  was  present  and  heard  the  famous 
Englishman  deliver  his  lecture  to  a  St.  Louis  audience;  but 
before  committing  himself  he  took  the  precaution  to  write 
to  me  asking  me  to  make  careful  inquiry  and  report  to 
him  whether  he  could  make  the  desired  statement  and  be 
safely  within  the  bounds  of  truth.  Unless  it  could  be  shown 
that  Lincoln  was  on  hand  and  heard  Thackeray  as  indi- 
cated, General  Wilson  said  he  preferred  not  to  mention 
the  incident.  In  due  time  I  set  out  to  learn  the  truth, 
making  a  thorough  and  industrious  canvass.  I  interviewed 
all  the  few  remaining  friends  and  associates  of  Lincoln, 
then  living  in  Springfield  or  elsewhere,  that  I  could  find 
who  were  in  a  position  to  know  the  facts,  but  was  unable 
to  find  one  who  could  recall  the  circumstance  or  otherwise 
enlighten  me.  Not  content  with  personal  interviews  I 
patiently  examined  the  files  of  the  Springfield  and  St. 
Louis  papers,  only  to  realize  that  they,  too,  were  void  of 
information.  Unfortunately  it  was  after  the  death  of  Mr. 
Herndon  so  that  I  was  unable  to  obtain  the  testimony  of 
one  witness  whose  credibility  as  well  as  competency  could 
not  be  questioned.  Among  other  things  I  examined  the 
records  of  the  various  courts  Lincoln  was  in  the  habit 
of  attending,  hoping  thereby  to  determine  Lincoln's 
whereabouts  on  March  26,  1856  —  the  date  mentioned 
by  General  Wilson;  but  they  failed  to  reveal  anything  of 
great  moment  or  value  beyond  the  fact  that  a  document 
in  Lincoln's  handwriting,  a  declaration  or  bill,  was 
filed  in  the  Circuit  Court  at  Bloomington,  Illinois,  dated 


88  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

March  28,  1856.  But  this  was  far  from  conclusive,  for  it 
did  not  necessarily  follow  that  he  was  in  Bloomington  that 
day,  much  less  did  it  prove  that  he  was  in  St.  Louis  listen- 
ing to  Thackeray's  lecture  on  George  III  two  days  before. 

My  inquiry  was  so  vigorous  and  persistent  that  it  was 
not  long  until  almost  every  old  friend  of  Lincoln  in  Spring- 
field had  been  subjected  to  an  interview  and  thus  learned 
what  I  was  striving  to  accomplish.  This  was  especially 
true  of  the  older  generation  of  lawyers,  all  of  whom  seemed 
deeply  interested  and  generously  cooperated  with  me  in 
my  quest  of  the  truth.  I  recall  one  man,  close  to  Lincoln, 
who  was  of  material  aid  to  me.  One  day  he  ventured  to 
ask  me  who  or  what  it  was  that  prompted  me  to  dig  into 
the  matter  so  deeply;  also,  in  case  I  reached  a  definite  and 
satisfactory  conclusion,  what  I  purposed  doing  with  the 
information  thus  obtained.  I  told  him  I  had  been  asked  to 
make  the  investigation  by  a  literary  gentleman  in  New 
York  who  wished  to  know  whether  Lincoln  while  in  St. 
Louis  on  one  occasion  attended  a  lecture  by  the  talented 
English  writer  Thackeray,  but  that  after  careful  and  pa- 
tient inquiry  I  was  unable  to  determine  whether  he  was 
actually  present  and  heard  the  lecture  or  not. 

"Tell  your  literary  friend,"  he  said,  "that  you  have 
talked  with  a  man  in  Springfield  who,  for  many  years,  was 
a  close  friend  of  Lincoln  and  who  insists  that  if  he,  Lincoln, 
was  in  St.  Louis  and  the  wonderful  Mr.  Thackeray  was 
billed  to  lecture  in  one  public  hall  and  Campbell's  or  Rum- 
sey's  Negro  Minstrels  were  to  hold  forth  in  another  hall  on 
the  same  evening,  it  would  have  been  folly  to  look  for  Lin- 
coln at  the  lecture.  Instead  of  the  latter  the  'nigger  show* 
would  have  caught  him  every  time." 


STATUS  AS  A  MARRIED  MAN  89 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Lincoln  and  Mary  Todd  was, 
indeed,  an  important  and  eventful  chapter  in  the  lives  of 
both.  Whether  it  was  a  wise  and  judicious  union  is  a  ques- 
tion on  which  the  people  of  Springfield  have  never  been 
able  to  agree.  A  few  persons  —  and  among  them  are  some 
of  Lincoln's  closest  friends — were  disposed  to  look  upon 
it  as  a  piece  of  accidental  good  fortune.  Their  theory 
was  that  Lincoln's  success  and  political  ascendancy  was 
due  more  to  the  influence  of  his  wife  than  to  any  other 
single  agency;  that  her  unrestrained  temper,  her  willful  and 
turbulent  nature  effectually  debarred  him  from  the  full 
measure  of  domestic  happiness  —  in  other  words,  forced 
him  out  into  the  angry  sea  of  politics  and  public  applause. 
Instead  of  evenings  engrossed  in  the  comforts  of  his  own 
fireside,  he  was  a  great  part  of  the  time  away  from  his 
home,  discussing  public  questions  with  the  politicians  and 
lawyers,  who  thronged  the  offices  in  the  court-houses,  ex- 
changing views  with  and  telling  stories  to  the  farmers  at 
the  stores  or  the  loungers  at  the  tavern,  and  otherwise 
mingling  with  his  fellow  citizens  of  every  grade,  rank, 
and  station.  The  result  of  this  continuous  rubbing  of  el- 
bows with  the  so-called  plain  people  was  that  Lincoln  in 
the  course  of  time  was  more  generally  and  widely  known 
than  almost  any  other  man  in  his  part  of  the  country. 
His  wife,  therefore,  was  a  material  though  possibly  an 
unintentional  aid  in  his  promotion. 

If,  on  the  other  hand,  as  contended  by  certain  of  his 
friends,  he  had  married  some  more  placid  and  adjustable 
woman,  one  who  would  have  been  content  to  minister  and 
defer  to  him  because  of  his  acknowledged  intellect  and 
brilliant  promise  of  leadership,  the  result,  doubtless,  would 


90  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

have  been  different.  For  although  it  would  have  been  the 
wife's  delight  to  see  that  he  had  clean  clothes  when  he 
needed  them;  that  his  slippers  were  in  their  accustomed 
place;  that  he  was  warmly  clad  and  had  plenty  to  eat;  and 
although  the  privilege  of  ministering  to  his  wants  may  have 
been  to  her  a  pleasure  rather  than  a  duty;  yet  the  prob- 
ability is  he  would  have  been  satisfied  with  the  modest 
emoluments  of  a  country  lawyer's  practice,  deaf  to  the 
siren  call  of  politics,  and  buried  in  the  delights  of  an  in- 
viting and  happy  home.  Such,  at  least,  was  the  opinion 
of  Herndon,  whose  theory  thus  expressed  was  confirmed 
by  David  Davis,  Milton  Hay,  and  James  Matheney, 
three  close,  unerring,  and  loyal  friends  of  Lincoln,  and 
with  all  of  whom  I  talked  regarding  the  latter's  domestic 
history. 

Judge  Davis  laid  great  stress  on  the  fact  that  Lincoln 
seemed  to  prefer  life  on  the  circuit  because  it  occasioned 
prolonged  absence  from  his  home.  He  told  me  that  on  the 
circuit  the  lawyers  as  the  week  neared  its  close  were  in  the 
habit  of  expediting  business  so  as  to  be  able  to  leave  at 
the  earliest  moment  and  thus  reach  home  in  time  to  spend 
Sunday  with  their  families.  They  all  went  but  Lincoln;  he 
was  proverbially  slow  and  would  linger  behind  pleading  an 
accumulation  of  unfinished  business  or  something  equally 
commonplace  and  improbable  as  an  excuse  for  not  going. 
The  next  Monday,  when  the  other  lawyers  returned,  they 
would  invariably  find  Lincoln  still  there  anxiously  await- 
ing their  reappearance.  It  was  more  or  less  unusual.  Davis 
professed  to  believe  that  "  Lincoln  was  not  happy  domes- 
tically," in  proof  of  which  he  alluded  to  the  fact  that  often 
as  he  had  been  in  Springfield  Lincoln  had  never  enter- 


HIS  WIFE'S  TEMPERAMENT  91 

tained  him,  nor,  so  far  as  he  could  learn,  any  other  visiting 
lawyer  at  his  home. 

Speaking  of  Lincoln  and  his  wife  Milton  Hay,  the  uncle 
of  John  Hay,  said:  "If  he  had  married  a  woman  of  more 
angelic  temperament  and  less  social  ambition,  he,  doubt- 
less, would  have  remained  at  home  more  and  been  less 
inclined  to  mingle  with  the  people  outside.  She  had  a  very 
extreme  temper  and  made  things  at  home  more  or  less 
disagreeable.  This  probably  encouraged  Mr.  Lincoln  to 
seek  entertainment  elsewhere.  Mentally  she  was  a  bright 
woman  with  decided  aristocratic  pretensions,  but  she  was 
of  very  saving  habits.  In  dealing  with  others  she  was  very 
determined;  not  easily  moved  or  thoughtful  about  what 
she  should  say  or  do." 

Judge  Matheney  agreed  with  Davis  and  Hay.  He  told 
me  also  that  although  in  worldly  matters  Lincoln  was  as 
prudent  and  careful  as  the  average  man,  yet  he  never 
succeeded  in  acquiring  very  much  property.  Compared  to 
his  second  partner,  Stephen  T.  Logan,  David  Davis,  and 
a  few  other  associates  of  like  standing  at  the  bar,  he  was 
poor.  At  the  time  of  his  election  in  1860  the  house  in  which 
he  lived  was  the  only  real  estate  he  possessed  and  his  per- 
sonal accumulations  did  not  exceed  ten  thousand  dollars. 
His  tastes  were  proverbially  simple;  he  indulged  in  no  ex- 
cesses and  his  expenditures  were  kept  at  the  minimum. 
His  wife,  on  the  other  hand,  had  a  weakness  for  certain 
luxuries,  but  they  were  modest  and  only  few  in  number. 
She  loved  fine  clothes,  but  in  other  respects  she  was  close 
and  in  no  sense  extravagant.  In  support  of  Judge  Mathe- 
ney's  testimony  illustrating  the  economical  trait  in  the 
Lincoln  family,  I  was  shown  a  book  kept  by  a  Springfield 


92  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

merchant  containing  the  Lincoln  account.  I  copied  the 
record  of  purchases  made  by  Mrs.  Lincoln  in  1860  during 
the  greater  part  of  which  year  her  husband  was  engaged  in 
his  canvass  for  the  Presidency.  A  list  of  the  items  will  not 
only  serve  to  indicate  the  character  and  extent  of  her  out- 
lay, but  also  prove  to  be  of  more  or  less  interest  to  the 
ladies;  especially  those  who  are  prone  to  wonder  what 
change,  if  any,  in  his  wife's  conduct  or  style  of  living  a 
man's  elevation  to  the  Presidency  brings  about. 

In  the  case  of  Mrs.  Lincoln  the  following  entry  is  a  rec- 
ord of  her  first  purchase  after  the  news  of  her  husband's 
nomination  at  Chicago: 

Abraham  Lincoln 

To  i  Silk  Parasol  $5.00 

"  ii  y'ds  Calico  $1.38 

Meanwhile  the  need  of  more  elaborate  raiment  with  which 
to  bedeck  the  first  lady  of  the  land  began  to  assert  itself. 
Accordingly,  a  few  days  later,  occurs  this: 

A.  Lincoln  per  wife 

To  i       Mantle  $18.00 

"  8#    yds  Cable  Cord  1.06 

"  i       pair  Kid  Gloves  .85 

And  this: 

Mrs.  A.  Lincoln 

To    i      Eng.  Straw  Bonnet  $5.00 

"     i     Rouch  .25 

"  23      yds  Cotton  Flannel  3.83 

"     2      Hats  1.50 

"     i^ydsPld.  Linen  .66 

As  the  summer  wore  on  came  this: 

Hon.  A.  Lincoln 

To  6X  yds  Bon  Silk  $5.31 

4    9         '  Thread  Edg.  2.25 

"      fi     "  Linen  Cambric  .75 


SPRINGFIELD  TRADESMEN'S  ACCOUNTS    93 
And  shortly  before  election  day,  this: 

Abraham  Lincoln 

To  3  yds  Plaid  Satteen  .75 

"   i  Silk  French  Umbrella  5.75 

"  i  Straw  Tassel  .25 

The  last  entry,  dated  December  31,  was  recorded  only  a 
few  days  before  Lincoln  left  Springfield  for  Washington 
and  included  these  items: 

A.  Lincoln 

To  i     Wh.  Rouch  .60 

"  i       "         "  .20 

'  i     BB       "  .40 

"   i  ^  yds  French  Merino  1.75 

"     tf    "   Marcelline  .45 

"        Sewing  Silk      .  .25 

Another  tradesman's  account  book  I  examined  was  that 
of  a  druggist,  the  man  who  supplied  the  Lincolns  with  their 
"medicines,  perfumes,  and  hair  tonics."  I  append  this  list 
bought  in  1852: 

A.  Lincoln 

Aug.   7  To  Prescription  .15 

"     II    "   Cal  Powders  .10 

"     14    "  Pennyroyal  .10 

"     23    "  Bot.  Carminative  .25 

"     30    "    "  "  .50 

Farther  along  in  the  book  I  found  and  copied  numerous 
items  added  to  the  Lincoln  account,  but  when  the  owner, 
who  gave  me  the  book  to  examine,  observed  that  I  had 
reached  the  page  on  which  was  entered, "  i  Bottle  Brandy," 
charged  to  Lincoln,  he  asked  for  its  return  and  declined 
to  allow  me  to  copy  further.  I  remember  an  entry  in  one 
place  showing  the  sale  of  a  bottle  of  perfume  beneath 
which  was  penciled  this  notation:  "Returned  by  Mrs.  L.," 


94  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

which  prompted  a  gentleman  who  accompanied  me  to 
relate  that  his  father,  who  was  formerly  connected  with 
the  store,  told  him  that  he  was  once  instructed  by  the 
proprietor  not  to  honor  Mrs.  Lincoln's  order  for  perfume 
because  she  had  so  often  broken  the  seals  and,  through 
a  messenger,  returned  bottles  of  the  preparation  she  had 
opened,  claiming  that  the  contents  were  inferior  or  other- 
wise not  as  represented,  and  thus  preventing  their  sale  to 
others. 

"Notwithstanding  her  love  of  fine  apparel,"  is  the  state- 
ment of  a  lady  relative,  "Mrs.  Lincoln  was  not  only  eco- 
nomical, but  close;  but  in  order  that  she  might  gratify  her 
passion  for  the  ornamental  her  economy  and  self-denial 
ended  at  the  kitchen.  As  a  rule  servants  were  conspicu- 
ous about  her  household  only  when  she  entertained.  She 
was  not  noted  for  her  skill  as  a  cook,  but  was  unusually 
neat  with  the  needle.  She  had  an  ungovernable  temper, 
but  after  the  outburst  she  was  invariably  regretful  and 
penitent." 

My  inquiry  into  the  domestic  history  of  the  Lincolns 
in  Springfield  convinced  me  that  Mrs.  Lincoln  was,  in 
some  respects,  of  great  value  to  her  husband,  in  that  she 
protected  him  from  imposition.  "She  was  an  excellent 
judge  of  human  nature,"  said  Herndon;  "a  better  reader 
of  men's  motives  than  her  husband  and  quick  to  detect 
those  who  had  designs  upon  and  sought  to  use  him.  She 
was,  in  a  good  sense,  a  stimulant.  Firm  in  her  belief  that 
he  would  ultimately  attain  immortal  fame  she  kept  him 
from  lagging,  was  constantly  prodding  him  to  keep  up  the 
struggle.  She  coveted  place  and  power;  wanted  to  be  a 
leader  in  society,  and  her  ambition  knew  no  bounds.  Re- 


MRS.  LINCOLN'S  INFLUENCE  95 

alizing  that  Lincoln's  rise  in  the  world  would  elevate  and 
strengthen  her,  she  strove  in  every  way  to  promote  his 
fortunes,  to  keep  him  moving,  and  thereby  win  the  world's 
applause." 


CHAPTER  VIII 

Further  accounts  of  Mrs.  Lincoln  —  Herndon's  account  of  the  dance  with  her 
—  The  serenade  —  Riding  with  the  Bradfords  —  Her  difficulties  with  the  serv- 
ants —  Her  husband's  ingenious  scheme  to  retain  them  —  The  government 
of  the  children  —  Lincoln  taking  them  to  the  office  on  Sunday  —  His  control 
over  them  —  Playing  chess  with  Judge  Treat  —  An  interesting  glimpse  by  a 
law  student  — Description  of  the  office  —  How  Lincoln  dressed  —  How  he  spent 
the  day  —  His  habits  of  study  —  Escorting  Mrs.  Lincoln  to  a  ball  —  Her  hus- 
band's consideration  for  her  —  His  action  when  a  storm  threatened. 

OUTSIDE  of  her  husband  and  kindred  it  is  fair  to  assume 
that  Mr.  Herndon  knew  Mrs.  Lincoln  more  thoroughly 
and  comprehended  her  peculiar  construction  better  than 
almost  any  other  person  in  Springfield.  The  popular 
notion  fathered  by  numerous  writers  that  the  two  were 
hostile  to  each  other  and  at  outs  most  of  the  time  has  no 
sure  foundation  on  which  to  rest.  That  they  did  not  in- 
variably and  completely  agree  on  all  subjects  is  doubtless 
true,  but  it  does  not  necessarily  follow  that  they  hated 
each  other.  In  fact  the  correspondence  between  them, 
much  of  which  I  have  been  privileged  to  read,  as  well  as 
the  many  facts  I  gathered  during  my  association  with  Mr. 
Herndon,  convince  me  to  the  contrary.  I  cannot,  there- 
fore, resist  the  conclusion,  regardless  of  the  things  which 
have  found  their  way  into  the  columns  of  some  of  our 
newspapers  and  magazines,  that  Mr.  Herndon  and  Mrs. 
Lincoln,  all  things  considered,  held  each  other  in  generous 
and  reasonable  esteem. 

"Mary  Todd,"  wrote  Mr.  Herndon,  "was  a  woman  of 
more  than  average  attainments,  having  had  the  benefit  of 
a  thorough  education,  excellent  social  training,  and  the 
most  refined  surroundings.  She  was  a  good  writer,  could 


MARY  TODD  LINCOLN 


HERNDON'S  DANCE  WITH  MISS  TODD     97 

express  her  thoughts  in  chaste  and  perfect  English;  under- 
stood French  and  was  otherwise  highly  endowed.  Of  all  the 
ladies  to  whom  Mr.  Lincoln  paid  court  she  was  undoubt- 
edly the  most  versatile  and  accomplished.  An  animated 
and  interesting  talker,  she  was  also  a  shrewd  observer,  and 
in  some  respects  a  better  and  more  intuitive  judge  of  men 
than  her  husband.  But  unfortunately  for  her  and  those 
with  whom  she  came  in  contact,  she  seemed  to  lack  the 
very  elements  calculated  to  win  the  reverence  and  retain 
the  affection  of  a  man  of  Mr.  Lincoln's  type.  Not  entirely 
free  from  an  appearance  of  haughty  disdain,  she  was  de- 
void of  patience,  tolerance,  and  self-control.  In  her  letters, 
scone  of  which  were  addressed  to  me  and  others  which  I 
have  read,  she  invariably  speaks  of  her  husband  in  the 
most  endearing  and  affectionate  language;  and  yet  I  am 
sure  her  fearless,  austere,  and  caustic  nature  greatly  marred 
the  blissful  companionship  which  should  have  existed  be- 
tween her  and  her  imperturbable  and  kindly  natured  help- 
mate.'* 

Miss  Todd  came  to  Springfield  from  her  Kentucky  home 
about  the  time  the  place  became  the  capital  of  the  State, 
and  she  was  promptly  and  cordially  welcomed  into  the 
highest  and  most  approved  social  circles.  A  comely  and 
attractive  figure  she  soon  had  a  number  of  admirers. 
Among  the  latter  was  Mr.  Herndon,  who  was  about  her 
age.  This  is  his  account  of  their  first  meeting:  "It  was  at 
an  evening  party  and  I  danced  with  her.  I  was  charmed 
with  her,  and  after  the  dance  I  thought  it  would  be  seemly 
and  proper  to  compliment  her  on  her  superb  poise  and 
graceful  bearing,  meanwhile  suggesting  that  her  move- 
ments on  the  floor,  as  she  glided  through  the  waltz,  were 


98  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

fairly  serpentine  —  alluding,  of  course,  to  the  ease  with 
which  a  serpent,  gracefully  turning  corners  and  making  its 
way  around  obstructions,  moves  over  the  ground.  Of  course 
it  was  a  hideous  and  unpardonable  comparison,  and  later, 
when  I  became  better  acquainted  with  the  lady  and  her 
responsive  temperament,  I  used  to  wonder  how  I  happened 
to  escape  so  well;  for,  strange  to  say,  she  simply  drew  back 
and  glared  at  me  a  moment  —  with  a  look  too  I  shall  never 
forget  —  and  moved  to  another  part  of  the  room.'* 

The  recollection  by  Judge  Matheney  of  Mrs.  Lincoln  was 
equally  vivid  and  interesting  because,  in  view  of  his  inti- 
macy with  Mr.  Lincoln,  he  was  in  a  position  to  learn  things 
which,  but  for  his  keen  observation  and  wonderful  memory, 
might  not  have  been  preserved.  Here  is  one  incident  he 
related  to  me  in  March,  1883,  which  was  before  Hern- 
don's  death: 

"Soon  after  Miss  Todd  came  to  Springfield  our  crowd 
of  young  fellows  decided  to  serenade  her  —  a  custom  very 
much  in  vogue  in  those  days.  We  had  flutes,  violins,  and 
other  old-time  instruments  and  produced  what  we  re- 
garded as  very  creditable  music.  The  next  evening  Miss 
Todd  attended  a  social  gathering  where  she  met  a  young 
man  —  his  name  was  Peck,  I  believe  —  who  was  a  member 
of  the  party  of  musicians  that  serenaded  her  the  night  be- 
fore. On  being  introduced  to  him  she  indulged  in  several 
sneering  allusions  to  the  music  and  mentioned  that  she  had 
met  him  before,  referring,  of  course,  to  the  serenade.  Stung 
to  the  quick  by  her  uncomplimentary  and  sarcastic  sug- 
gestion Peck  was  nevertheless  equal  to  the  emergency. 
'That  music,'  he  retorted,  'was  not  intended  for  you,  Miss 
Todd;  that  was  for  Sally*  —  the  colored  servant  at  the 
Edwards  mansion." 


JOHN  S.  BRADFORD  99 

John  S.  Bradford,  at  one  time  State  Printer,  told  me  this 
incident  in  his  office  in  Springfield  and  I  made  a  note  of  it 
at  the  time:  "Some  years  ago  when  I  had  invested  in  my 
first  carriage  I  invited  Mrs.  Lincoln  to  accompany  me  and 
my  family  in  a  drive  to  the  country.  We  drove  to  the  Lin- 
coln residence,  and  when  the  madame  came  down  the  front 
steps  to  join  us  in  the  carriage,  she  appeared  to  be  very 
nervous  and  more  or  less  wrought  up.  What  had  caused  her 
agitation  she  failed  to  disclose.  We  suspected  that  there  had 
been  a  collision  or  disagreement  of  some  kind  with  her 
servant,  for,  just  as  she  settled  back  in  her  seat,  she  ex- 
claimed with  a  sigh:  'Well,  one  thing  is  certain;  if  Mr. 
Lincoln  should  happen  to  die,  his  spirit  will  never  find  me 
living  outside  the  boundaries  of  a  slave  State."1 

Among  the  people  of  Springfield,  rich  and  poor  alike, 
those  who  opposed  as  well  as  those  who  supported  his 
political  principles,  Lincoln,  so  far  as  I  could  determine, 
was  held  by  his  fellow  citizens  in  unquestioned  esteem. 
In  my  long  sojourn  there  I  found  but  one  man  who  con- 
demned or  even  belittled  him.  That  man,  I  regret  to 
say,  was  the  one  who  related  the  incident  just  described. 
For  a  long  time  I  could  not  understand  it;  but  finally, 
through  Herndon,  I  learned  the  reason.  In  March,  1842, 
Lincoln  was  retained  by  one  William  Darmody  and 
brought  suit  against  Bradford  for  slander,  the  grievance 
being  that  the  latter  had  publicly  denounced  Darmody, 
characterizing  him  as  a  "damned  rogue."  Lincoln  lost  the 
suit,  and  although  he  conducted  the  case  with  due  regard 
to  the  professional  ethics  involved,  as  shown  by  the  record, 
Bradford  never  forgave  him.  This  explains  why  Bradford 
oquld  not  agree  with  his  neighbors  and  thus  endeavor  to 


ioo  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

find  in  Lincoln's  life  and  morals  something  to  commend. 

Reverting  to  a  further  contemplation  of  Mrs.  Lincoln,  it 
may  not  be  out  of  place  to  suggest  that,  as  a  rule,  she  expe- 
rienced the  utmost  difficulty  in  retaining  a  household  serv- 
ant beyond  a  brief  or  nominal  period.  On  account  of  her 
frequent  and  violent  outbursts  of  temper,  she  was  in  bad 
repute  with  the  domestic  servant  population  of  Springfield. 
At  the  joint  suggestion  of  Mr.  Herndon  and  Judge  Math- 
cney  I  met  and  talked  with  a  woman  who  claimed  in  her 
girlhood  days  to  have  lived  as  a  servant  in  the  Lincoln 
household.  When  she  entered  Mrs.  Lincoln's  employ  she 
had  been  apprised,  she  said,  of  that  lady's  peculiarities,  and 
was  warned  that,  like  the  other  girls  who  had  preceded  her  at 
the  Lincoln  home,  a  few  days,  possibly  a  month  at  the  most, 
would  mark  the  limits  of  her  stay;  but,  to  the  surprise  of  all, 
she  remained  a  much  longer  period,  in  fact,  upwards  of  two 
years.  The  secret  of  her  steady  and  unbroken  service  came 
out  with  the  explanation  that  Lincoln  himself  gave  her 
additional  compensation  each  week  —  generally  a  dollar 
—  conditioned  on  her  determination  to  brave  whatever 
storms  that  might  arise.  This  arrangement  was  discreetly 
kept  from  Mrs.  Lincoln,  but  that  extra  payment  each  week 
gave  the  servant  the  requisite  courage,  whenever  she  and 
Mrs.  Lincoln  happened  to  clash,  as  they  sometimes  did. 
"At  last,  however,"  said  the  woman,  "the  madame  and  I 
began  to  understand  each  other.  More  than  once,  when  she 
happened  to  be  out  of  the  room,  Mr.  Lincoln  with  a  merry 
twinkle  in  his  eye  patted  me  on  the  shoulder  urging  me  to 
'Stay  with  her,  Maria;  stay  with  her." 

Over  his  household  Lincoln  exercised  no  supervision 
of  any  kind.  The  government  of  the  family  or  domestic 


GOVERNMENT  OF  THE  CHILDREN       101 

machine  was  entirely  in  the  hands  of  his  wife.  His  children 
did  much  as  they  pleased.  Many  of  their  antics  he  osten- 
sibly approved  and  he  restrained  them  in  nothing.  He 
never  reproved  nor  gave  them  a  fatherly  frown.  Parental 
discipline  or  punishment,  if  needed,  had  to  come  from 
another  source. 

"He  was  the  most  indulgent  parent,"  is  the  testimony 
of  Mr.  Herndon,  "I  have  ever  known.  When  at  home  on 
Sunday  he  frequently  brought  his  two  younger  sons,  Wil- 
liam and  Thomas,  or  'Tad/  down  to  our  office  while  his 
wife  was  at  church.  The  boys  were  absolutely  unrestrained 
in  their  amusements.  If  they  withdrew  all  the  books  from 
the  shelves,  bent  the  points  of  the  pens,  overturned  the 
inkstands,  scattered  papers  over  the  floor,  or  threw  pen- 
cils into  the  spittoon,  it  never  disturbed  their  father's  se- 
renity or  good  nature.  Absorbed  in  thought  he  apparently 
never  observed  their  mischievous  and  destructive  pranks, 
and  even  if  brought  to  his  attention  he  virtually  encour- 
aged their  repetition  by  failing  to  manifest  the  least  sign 
of  impatience  or  disapproval. 

"  Mr.  Lincoln  could  sometimes  be  seen,  also  on  Sunday, 
in  his  shirt-sleeves  drawing  his  children  in  a  little  wagon 
up  and  down  the  pavement  in  front  of  his  house.  So  ab- 
stracted and  lost  to  the  surroundings  was  he  that  if,  per- 
chance, one  of  the  little  fellows  happened  to  roll  overboard, 
as  they  sometimes  did,  he  would  pull  steadily  ahead,  his 
eyes  fixed  on  the  ground,  in  a  brown  study  regardless  of 
the  child's  lamentations.  His  attention  being  called  to  the 
mishap  by  a  passer-by,  he  would  turn  back,  pick  up  the 
youngster,  try  to  soothe  or  pacify  it,  and  then  resume  his 
perambulation  as  unconcernedly  as  if  nothing  unusilal 


io2  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

had  happened.  But  at  this  juncture  Mrs.  Lincoln  would 
be  espied  a  few  steps  down  the  street,  hastening  home 
from  church.  Almost  instantly  there  would  follow  a  loud 
protest  from  a  woman's  shrill  and  angry  voice.  The  scene 
would  change.  All  steps  now  turn  to  the  Lincoln  mansion. 
The  front  door  swings  open  and  an  abashed  but  indulgent 
father,  looking  neither  to  the  right  nor  left,  hastens  up  the 
steps  and  disappears  within." 

In  the  winter  of  1883 1  spent  a  good  portion  of  one  aft- 
ernoon with  a  gentleman  who  was  present  and  heard 
Lincoln's  first  oral  argument  before  the  Supreme  Court  of 
Illinois.  It  was  Samuel  H.  Treat,  who  had  himself  been 
on  the  Supreme  bench  and  at  the  time  of  my  visit  was 
serving  as  Judge  of  the  United  States  District  Court.  His 
recollection  of  the  political  campaign  of  1846,  when  Lin- 
coln defeated  the  redoubtable  Peter  Cartwright  for  Con- 
gress, was  to  me  an  especially  interesting  chapter.  He  said 
he  admired  Lincoln  and  he  entertained  me  with  several 
vivid  and  characteristic  episodes  in  which  the  latter  figured. 
I  tried  to  draw  out  his  opinion  of  Mrs.  Lincoln,  but  with 
poor  success,  for,  beyond  the  simple  admission  that  he  was 
acquainted  with  her  coupled  with  the  names  of  three  or 
four  other  persons  who,  he  claimed,  could  adequately 
describe  her  "if  they  dared  to,"  he  declined  to  commit 
himself. 

On  the  afternoon  just  mentioned  when  I  visited  him 
Judge  Treat  told  me,  among  other  things,  that  one  morning 
Lincoln  came  to  his  office  and  joined  him  in  a  game  of 
chess.  The  two  were  enthusiastic  chess-players  and  when 
the  opportunity  offered  indulged  in  the  game.  On  the  oc- 
casion named  they  were  soon  deeply  absorbed,  nor  did  they 


PLAYING  CHESS  WITH  JUDGE  TREAT    103 

realize  how  near  it  was  to  the  noon  hour  until  one  of 
Lincoln's  boys  came  running  in  with  a  message  from  his 
mother  announcing  dinner  at  the  Lincoln  home,  a  few  steps 
away.  Lincoln  promised  to  come  at  once  and  the  boy  left; 
but  the  game  was  not  entirely  out;  yet  so  near  the  end 
the  players,  confident  that  they  would  finish  in  a  few  mo- 
ments, lingered  a  while.  Meanwhile  almost  half  an  hour  had 
passed.  Presently  the  boy  returned  with  a  second  and  more 
urgent  call  for  dinner;  but  so  deeply  engrossed  in  the  game 
were  the  two  players  they  apparently  failed  to  notice  his 
arrival.  This  was  more  than  the  little  fellow  could  stand; 
so  that,  angered  at  their  inattention,  he  moved  nearer, 
lifted  his  foot,  and  deliberately  kicked  board,  chessmen,  and 
all  into  the  air.  "It  was  one  of  the  most  abrupt,  if  not 
brazen,  things  I  ever  saw,"  said  Treat,  "but  the  surprising 
thing  was  its  effect  on  Lincoln.  Instead  of  the  animated 
scene  between  an  irate  father  and  an  impudent  youth  which 
I  expected,  Mr.  Lincoln  without  a  word  of  reproof  calmly 
arose,  took  the  boy  by  the  hand,  and  started  for  dinner. 
Reaching  the  door  he  turned,  smiled  good-naturedly,  and 
exclaimed,  'Well,  Judge,  I  reckon  we'll  have  to  finish  this 
game  some  other  time/  and  passed  out.  Of  course  I  re- 
frained from  any  comment,"  continued  Treat,  who,  by  the 
way,  was  old  and  had  never  been  blessed  with  a  child,  "  but 
I  can  assure  you  of  one  thing:  if  that  little  rascal  had  been 
a  boy  of  mine  he  never  would  have  applied  his  boots  to 
another  chessboard." 

Lincoln  was  a  man  of  marked  personality.  He  was  gen- 
erous and  sympathetic;  was  willing  to  help  if  help  was 
needed,  but  in  manner  restrained  and  somewhat  slow  to 


io4  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

volunteer.  The  recipient  of  every  one's  confidence  he 
rarely  gave  his  own  in  return.  People  oftentimes  mistook 
his  dignified  composure  for  indifference. 

"If  a  man  betrayed  undue  familiarity,"  said  Herndon, 
"  Mr.  Lincoln  drew  about  himself  a  shield,  a  sort  of  charmed 
circle  which  effectually  barred  too  near  approach.  Though 
oftentimes  abstracted,  he  was  not  repellent;  but  there  was 
something  in  his  face  and  manner  that  restrained  even  the 
boldest  and  most  venturesome  man.  It  can  hardly  be  said 
that  he  had  a  confidant  nor  did  he  unbosom  himself  to 
others.  Notwithstanding  the  long  and  close  association 
between  us,  if  a  cloud  hovered  over  and  depressed  him,  as 
it  unfortunately  sometimes  did,  he  made  no  mention  of  it, 
and  I  am  sure  that  I  was  equally  careful  to  refrain  from  al- 
luding to  it  in  his  presence.  To  me  he  was  ever  imperturb- 
able and  mysterious.  If  in  Springfield,  and  not  out  on  the 
circuit,  he  usually  reached  our  office  about  nine  in  the  morn- 
ing, although,  sometimes,  he  came  as  early  as  seven;  and 
on  one  or  two  occasions  I  recall  he  was  there  soon  after 
daylight.  The  cause  of  these  early  appearances  at  the  office 
could  not  be  learned  from  anything  he  said,  but  that  did  not 
prevent  me  from  making  deductions  of  my  own.  The  main 
piece  of  furniture  in  the  office  was  an  old  sofa  or  lounge 
on  which  he  would  throw  himself,  one  foot  on  a  chair,  the 
other  on  the  edge  of  the  table,  and  begin  to  read.  Stretched 
out  thus  and  generally  reading  aloud,  he  would  succeed 
in  monopolizing  practically  a  fourth  of  the  room.  After  a 
while  he  would  exclaim,  '  Billy '  —  he  always  called  me 
Billy  —  and  begin  to  relate  a  circumstance  suggested  by 
something  he  had  been  reading  and  which  had  happened 
in  Indiana  or  'down  in  Egypt.'  That  incident  would  lead 


MOODS  105 

to  another  and  still  another,  and  the  array  of  stories  would 
follow  each  other  until  a  large  part  of  the  morning  was  thus 
consumed.  His  narratives  were  almost  invariably  so  witty 
and  amusing  they  kept  all  of  us  in  the  office  laughing,  a 
result  which  no  one  enjoyed  more  heartily  than  he.  At 
two  o'clock  he  would  return  to  the  office.  If  no  important 
or  pressing  matters  claimed  his  time,  he  would  draw  his 
chair  up  to  the  table  on  which  rested  his  elbow,  place  his 
chin  in  the  palm  of  his  hand,  his  gaze  fixed  on  the  floor  or 
through  the  window  into  space,  and  linger  thus  absorbed 
for  hours  or  until  interrupted  by  callers  or  the  demands  of 
his  profession.  On  these  occasions  he  was  grave,  taciturn, 
unresponsive.  But  the  most  significant  and  noteworthy 
thing  about  him  was  his  look  of  abstraction  and  melan- 
choly. It  was  as  painful  as  it  was  inescapable.  I  have  often 
watched  him  in  one  of  these  moods.  Bent  over  in  his  chair, 
lost  to  the  world  in  thought,  he  was  the  most  striking  pic- 
ture of  dejection  I  had  ever  seen.  When  in  one  of  these 
moody  spells  neither  of  us  spoke.  Occasionally  it  would 
become  necessary  to  trouble  him  with  a  question  without 
eliciting  a  response.  Meanwhile  I  would  forget  that  I  had 
asked  him;  but  to  my  surprise  a  few  moments  later  (once 
it  was  over  fifteen  minutes)  he  would  break  the  silence  and 
give  me  an  appropriate  and  satisfactory  answer.  Appar- 
ently he  had,  for  the  time,  pushed  my  question  aside. 

"A  large  part  of  the  time  he  read  aloud.  It  annoyed  me 
more  or  less,  and  I  sometimes  left  the  room  under  pre- 
tense of  a  call  elsewhere  if  I  suspected  a  long  chapter  ahead; 
but  he  was  my  senior  by  almost  ten  years  and  so  much 
superior  in  every  other  respect  I  would  not  for  the  world 
have  given  evidence  of  any  objection  or  even  indifference. 


io6  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

I  remember  once  in  answer  to  my  inquiry  why  he  read  aloud 
he  said:  'I  catch  the  idea  by  two  senses;  for,  when  I  hear 
what  is  said  and  also  see  it,  I  remember  it  better  even  if  I  do 
not  understand  it  better/  At  his  home  when  reading  he 
would  lie  on  the  floor,  his  head  resting  against  a  chair 
placed  upside  down,  the  inclined  surface  serving  as  a  pil- 
low. He  was  not  a  general  reader,  save  in  his  endeavor  to 
keep  abreast  of  the  times  through  the  developments  in  the 
political  world.  In  quest  of  knowledge  or  information 
his  reading  seemed  to  be  characterized  by  marked  concen- 
tration of  thought,  the  study  of  some  special  subject  —  in 
other  words,  his  reading  like  his  efforts  in  other  lines  al- 
ways had  a  definite  end  in  view.  He  was  practical,  strong, 
and  reflective." 

A  faithful  and  interesting  glimpse  of  Lincoln  comes 
from  Gibson  W.  Harris,  a  student  in  his  office  after  the 
dissolution  of  the  partnership  with  Judge  Logan,  and  who 
later  moved  to  Cincinnati  where  he  lived  many  years. 

"In  1845,"  relates  Harris,  "I  was  inducted  into  the 
office  of  Lincoln  &  Herndon  as  student  and  clerk.  The 
office  was  in  a  room  in  the  upper  floor  of  a  building  which 
housed  the  post-office.  Across  the  hall  the  Clerk  of  the 
United  States  District  Court  held  forth.  The  furniture, 
somewhat  dilapidated,  consisted  of  one  small  desk  and  a 
table,  a  sofa  or  lounge  with  a  raised  head  at  one  end,  and 
a  half-dozen  plain  wooden  chairs.  The  floor  was  never 
scrubbed.  If  cleaned  at  all  it  was  done  by  the  clerk  or  law 
student  who  occasionally  ventured  to  sweep  up  the  accumu- 
lated dirt.  Over  the  desk  a  few  shelves  had  been  enclosed; 
this  was  the  office  bookcase  holding  a  set  of  Blacks  tone, 
Kent's  Commentaries,  Chitty's  Pleadings,  and  a  few  other 


HOW  HE  DRESSED  107 

books.  A  fine  law  library  was  in  the  Capitol  building  across 
the  street  to  which  the  attorneys  of  the  place  had  access. 

"And  now  as  to  Mr.  Lincoln  himself:  The  blue  jeans  in 
which  he  was  clad  the  first  time  I  saw  him  in  1840  had  been 
discarded  in  favor  of  broadcloth  shortly  before  his  marriage. 
The  day  I  entered  his  office  in  1 845  he  had  on  a  black  suit 
—  coat  and  trousers  of  cloth  and  vest  of  satin;  and  the 
buckram  stock  about  his  neck  was  covered  with  black  silk 
forcing  him  to  carry  his  head  more  erect  than  would  an  or- 
dinary tie.  In  summer  he  was  accustomed  to  wear  shoes 
known  as  the  Wellington  style;  but  in  winter  he  wore 
boots.  He  had  great  fondness  for  chess  or  checkers  and  also 
liked  tenpins;  but  cared  nothing  for  fishing  or  hunting. 

"  It  would  not  be  fair  to  speak  of  Mr.  Lincoln  as  an  idler 
save  in  his  aversion  to  bodily  labor.  His  brain  was  a  sin- 
gularly active  one  —  seemed  never  to  rest,  never  to  tire;  yet 
as  a  formal  student  he  struck  me  as  actually  lazy.  Days 
of  leisure  came  frequently,  and  on  such  occasions  he  might 
sometimes  be  seen  sitting  in  his  chair  with  his  feet  on  the 
office  table  reading  the  office  copy  of  Byron  or  Burns.  He 
would  read  for  an  hour  or  two,  then  close  the  book  and 
stretch  himself  at  full  length  on  the  office  lounge,  his  feet 
projecting  over  the  end,  his  hand  under  head,  and  his  eyes 
closed,  and  in  this  attitude  would  digest  the  mental  food 
he  had  just  taken.  He  read  but  little  at  the  office,  and  I 
have  never  imagined  there  was  much  burning  of  the  mid- 
night oil  at  his  home.  The  truth  is  he  never  studied  hard  at 
any  period  of  his  life.  He  did  not  need  to  study  hard.  With 
him  a  single  reading  was  sufficient  to  afford  a  clear  insight 
into  any  ordinary  subject. 

"I  was  well  acquainted  with  Mrs.  Lincoln  and  was  fre- 


io8  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

quently  at  her  house,  being  sent  there  now  and  then  by  her 
husband  on  errands  from  the  office.  On  two  occasions,  I 
remember,  I  was  her  escort  at  a  ball,  instead  of  her  husband, 
who,  because  of  absence  from  home,  was  unable  to  accom- 
pany her.  I  found  her  to  be  a  good  dancer;  she  was  bright, 
witty,  and  accomplished,  being  able  to  speak  French  flu- 
ently. The  sportive  title  or  nickname  she  gave  me  was  Mr. 
'  Mister,'  but  her  husband  invariably  addressed  me  by  my 
first  name.  She  rarely  visited  the  office.  She  was  a  member 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  but  the  statement  that  Mr. 
Lincoln  attended  divine  service  nearly  every  Sunday  he 
was  in  Springfield  may  have  been  true  of  later  years,  but 
to  predicate  it  of  the  period  when  I  was  in  office,  in  the 
forties,  would  be  more  or  less  of  an  exaggeration.  Mr. 
Lincoln  showed  great  consideration  for  his  wife.  She  was 
unusually  timid  and  nervous  especially  during  a  storm.  If 
the  clouds  gathered  and  the  thunder  rolled,  he  knew  its 
effect  on  his  wife  and  would  at  once  hasten  home  to  remain 
there  with  her  till  the  skies  cleared  and  the  storm  was 
safely  over." 


CHAPTER  IX 

A  Springfield  lawyer's  opinion  of  Lincoln's  mental  equipment  —  Outline  of  his 
physical  organization  —  His  appetite  —  How  he  ate  an  apple  —  His  predis- 
position to  melancholy  —  Description  of  his  figure  —  His  head,  arms,  and  legs 
—  His  countenance,  his  walk,  and  other  physical  attributes  —  His  mental  proc- 
esses—  His  perception,  judgment,  aod  conscience  —  His  indifference  as  to 
forms  or  methods  —  A  profound  reasoner  —  Remorseless  in  analysis  —  A  giant 
intellect  and  in  full  comprehension  of  his  own  ability. 

IN  his  physical  organization,  according  to  John  T.  Stuart 
and  Herndon,  both  of  whom  were  his  law  partners  and 
therefore  observed  him  at  very  close  range,  Lincoln  was 
something  of  a  riddle.  Likewise  to  those  who  viewed 
him  from  another  angle  he  was  still  difficult  of  comprehen- 
sion. Here  is  an  analysis  of  his  mental  structure  by  a  fel- 
low lawyer.  It  was  written  in  1866  and  the  original  man- 
uscript is  still  in  my  possession.  Although  I  have  thus  far 
withheld  the  writer's  name,  I  feel  free  to  state  that  he  was 
a  Springfield  man,  but  not  a  partner  of,  nor  intimate  with, 
Lincoln.  After  reciting  that  he  had  been  asked  to  put  in 
writing  his  opinion  of  the  mind  of  Lincoln  he  says: 

"  I  consent  to  do  so  without  any  other  motive  than  to 
comply  with  the  request  of  a  brother  lawyer,  for  if  I  know 
myself,  no  other  motive  would  induce  me  to  do  it,  because, 
while  Mr.  Lincoln  and  I  were  always  good  friends,  I  be- 
lieve myself  wholly  indifferent  to  the  future  of  his  memory. 
The  opinion  I  now  have  was  formed  by  a  personal  and  pro- 
fessional acquaintance  of  over  ten  years,  and  has  not  been 
altered  or  influenced  by  any  of  his  promotions  in  public 
life.  The  adulation  by  base  multitudes  of  a  living  and 
pageantry  surrounding  a  dead  President  do  not  shake  my 


no  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

well-settled  convictions  of  the  man's  mental  caliber.  Phys- 
iologically and  phrenologically  the  man  was  a  sort  of  mon- 
strosity. His  frame  was  large,  long,  bony,  and  muscular;  his 
head  small  and  disproportionately  shaped.  He  had  large, 
square  jaws;  large,  heavy  nose;  small,  lascivious  mouth, 
and  soft,  tender,  bluish  eyes.  I  would  say  he  was  a  cross 
between  Venus  and  Hercules.  I  believe  it  to  be  inconsist- 
ent with  the  laws  of  [human  organization  for  any  such 
creature  to  possess  a  mind  capable  of  anything  called  great. 
The  man's  mind  partook  of  the  incongruities  of  his  body. 
He  had  no  mind  not  possessed  by  the  most  ordinary  of  men. 
It  was  simply  the  peculiarity  of  his  mental  and  the  oddity 
of  his  physical  structure,  as  well  as  the  qualities  of  his  heart, 
that  singled  him  out  from  the  mass  of  men.  His  native 
love  of  justice,  truth,  and  humanity  led  his  mind  a  great 
way  in  the  accomplishment  of  his  objects  in  life.  That 
passion  or  sentiment  steadied  and  determined  an  other- 
wise indecisive  mind." 

The  following  extract  from  a  lecture  by  Herndon  soon 
after  Lincoln's  death  contains  an  analysis  of  the  latter's 
physical  and  mental  equipment  so  unerring  and  yet  so  pro- 
found there  is  abundant  reason  why  it  should  be  preserved. 
Its  value  to  history  arises  from  the  fact  that  it  was  pre- 
pared for  delivery  to  audiences  in  central  Illinois  composed 
largely  of  Lincoln's  neighbors,  people  the  most  compe, 
tent  of  all  to  test  its  accuracy  and  truthfulness.  Among 
other  things  he  said: 

Mr.  Lincoln  was  wiry,  sinewy,  and  raw-boned  —  thin  through 
the  breast  to  the  back  and  narrow  across  the  shoulders.  Stand- 
ing, he  leaned  forward;  was  somewhat  stoop-shouldered,  in- 
clining to  the  consumptive  in  build.  His  usual  weight  was 


HIS  APPETITE  in 

about  a  hundred  and  eighty  pounds.  His  organization  worked 
slowly.  His  blood  had  to  run  a  long  distance  from  his  heart  to 
the  extremities  of  his  frame,  and  his  nerve  force  had  to  travel 
through  dry  ground  a  wide  circuit  before  his  muscles  were 
obedient  to  his  will.  His  structure  was  loose  and  leathery,  his 
body  shrunk  and  shriveled,  he  had  dark  skin,  dark  hair,  and 
looked  woe-struck.  The  whole  man,  body  and  mind,  worked 
against  more  or  less  friction  and  creaked  as  if  it  needed  oiling. 

His  circulation  was  low  and  sluggish,  so  that  there  was  after 
all  only  limited  wear  and  tear  of  his  bodily  tissues.  Hence  he  had 
no  very  strong  appetite  for  stimulating  drinks  or  tonics.  "I  am 
entitled  to  little  credit  for  not  drinking,"  he  once  said  to  me  when 
I  asked  him  about  whiskey,  "  because  I  hate  the  stuff.  It  is  un- 
pleasant and  always  leaves  me  flabby  and  undone."  He  had  a 
good  but  moderate  appetite  for  food  and  was  satisfied  with  al- 
most anything  that  would  allay  hunger.  He  ate  slowly  and  me- 
chanically, never  complaining  of  the  food  if  it  was  bad  nor  prais- 
ing it  if  good.  On  the  circuit  and  elsewhere  I  sat  down  with  him 
times  without  number,  but  I  never  knew  him  to  manifest  any 
objection  to  the  food  that  graced  the  table,  although  some  of  our 
colleagues  would  often  swear  at  it.  He  adored  the  vegetable 
world,  but  in  his  own  selection  of  things  to  eat  he  was  decidedly 
mixed.  He  loved  a  good  cup  of  coffee,  but  he  was  especially 
fond  of  an  apple.  His  manipulation  of  an  apple  when  he  ate  it 
was  unique.  He  disdained  the  use  of  a  knife  to  cut  or  pare  it. 
Instead  he  would  grasp  it  around  the  equatorial  part,  holding 
it  thus  until  his  thumb  and  forefinger  almost  met,  sink  his  teeth 
into  it,  and  then,  unlike  the  average  person,  begin  eating  at  the 
blossom  end.  When  he  was  done  he  had  eaten  his  way  over  and 
through  rather  than  around  and  into  it.  Such,  at  least,  was  his 
explanation.  I  never  saw  an  apple  thus  disposed  of  by  any  one 
else. 

The  most  marked  and  prominent  feature  in  Lincoln's 
organization  was  his  predisposition  to  melancholy  or  at 
least  the  appearance  thereof  as  indicated  by  his  facial 
expression  when  sitting  alone  and  thus  shut  off  from  con- 
versation with  other  people.  It  was  a  characteristic  as 


ii2  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

peculiar  as  it  was  pronounced.  Almost  every  man  in  Illi- 
nois I  met,  including  not  only  Herndon,  but  John  T.  Stuart, 
Samuel  H.  Treat,  James  C.  Conkling,  James  H.  Matheney, 
David  Davis,  Leonard  Swett,  and  Henry  C.  Whitney,  re- 
minded me  of  it.  No  one  was  able  to  determine  what  caused 
it.  Stuart  and  Swett  attributed  it  to  defective  digestion  — 
in  fact,  Stuart  told  me  and  Herndon  that  Lincoln's  liver 
failed  to  function  properly.  "It  did  not  secrete  bile,"  he 
said,  "and  his  bowels  were  equally  inactive.  It  was  this 
that  made  him  look  so  sad  and  depressed.  That  was  my  no- 
tion, and  I  remember  I  talked  to  him  about  it  and  advised 
him  to  resort  to  blue-mass  pills  which  he  did.  This  was  be- 
fore he  went  to  Washington.  When  I  came  on  to  Congress 
in  1863,  he  told  me  that  for  a  few  months  after  his  inaugu- 
ration as  President  he  continued  the  pill  remedy,  but  he 
was  finally  forced  to  cease  because  it  was  losing  its  efficacy 
besides  making  him  more  or  less  irritable." 

My  inquiry  on  this  subject  among  Lincoln's  close 
friends  convinced  me  that  men  who  never  saw  him  could 
scarcely  realize  this  tendency  to  melancholy,  not  only  as 
reflected  in  his  facial  expression,  but  as  it  affected  his  spir- 
its and  well-being.  Robert  L.  Wilson,  who  was  a  member 
with  Lincoln  of  the  Illinois  Legislature  in  1836,  wrote  thus 
to  Herndon  February  10,  1866: 

"Mr.  Lincoln  told  me  that  although  he  appeared  to  en- 
joy life  rapturously,  still  he  was  the  victim  of  terrible  mel- 
ancholy. He  sought  company  and  indulged  in  fun  and  hi- 
larity without  restraint  or  stint  as  to  time;  but  when  by 
himself  he  told  me  that  he  was  so  overcome  by  mental  de- 
pression he  never  dared  carry  a  knife  in  his  pocket;  and  as 
long  as  I  was  intimately  acquainted  with  him  previous  to 


PREDISPOSITION  TO  MELANCHOLY      113 

his  commencement  of  the  practice  of  the  law  he  never 
carried  a  pocket-knife." 

The  above  is  copied  from  the  original  manuscript  signed 
by  Wilson,  delivered  to  Herndon,  and  by  him  turned  over 
to  me.  Along  with  it  came  this  reference  to  Lincoln's 
peculiarity  in  Herndon's  hand: 

"As  to  the  cause  of  this  morbid  condition,  my  idea  has 
always  been  that  it  was  occult  and  could  not  be  explained 
by  any  course  of  observation  and  reasoning.  It  was  in- 
grained, and  being  ingrained  could  not  be  reduced  to  rule 
or  the  cause  assigned.  It  was  necessarily  hereditary,  but 
whether  it  came  down  from  a  long  line  of  ancestors  and  far 
back  or  was  simply  the  saddened  face  of  Nancy  Hanks 
cannot  well  be  determined.  At  any  rate,  it  was  part  of  his 
nature  and  could  no  more  be  shaken  off  than  he  could  part 
with  his  brains.  Simple  in  carriage  or  bearing,  free  from 
pomp  or  display,  serious,  unaffected,  Lincoln  was  a  sad- 
looking  man  whose  melancholy  dripped  from  him  as  he 
walked." 

How  Lincoln  impressed  Herndon  may  be  judged  from 
the  following  fragments  of  his  lecture: 

In  person  and  physique  it  can  hardly  be  said  that  Mr.  Lincoln 
was  either  dapper  or  handsome.  Somewhat  ill-proportioned  in 
figure,  his  movements  seemed  labored  if  not  at  times  more  or  less 
awkward.  He  had  a  sad  and  rugged  face  which  defied  artistic 
skill  to  soften  or  idealize.  It  was  capable  of  few  expressions,  but 
they  were  abundantly  suggestive  and  unusual.  When  in  repose 
his  face  was  grave  and  thoughtful,  pervaded  by  a  look  of  dejec- 
tion as  painful  as  it  was  prominent;  it  brightened  like  a  lighted 
lantern  when  animated.  His  dull  eyes  would  sparkle  with  fun 
or  express  as  kindly  and  tender  a  look  as  ever  mounted  a  face 
when  moved  by  some  matter  of  human  interest  or  sympathy. 
There  was  more  difference  between  Lincoln  grave  and  Lincoln 


1 14  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

animated  in  facial  expression  than  almost  any  other  man  of  his 
day. 

His  forehead  was  narrow  but  high;  his  hair  dark,  coarse  and 
rebellious.  His  cheek-bones  were  high,  sharp,  and  prominent; 
his  jaws  were  long;  nose  large  and  a  little  awry  toward  the  right 
eye;  chin  sharp  and  upcurved.  His  eyebrows  cropped  out  like  a 
huge  rock  on  the  brow  of  a  hill;  his  face  was  sallow,  shrunk,  and 
wrinkled,  with  here  and  there  a  hair  on  the  surface  and  his 
cheeks  leathery.  His  ears  were  large  and  ran  out  almost  at  right 
angles  from  his  head,  caused  partly  by  heavy  hats  and  partly 
by  nature;  his  lower  lip  thick  and  undercurved  while  his  chin 
reached  for  the  lip  upcurved;  his  neck  slender  and  trim  neatly 
balancing  his  head;  there  was  the  lone  mole  on  the  right  cheek 
and  Adam's  apple  on  his  throat. 

His  head  was  long  and  tall  from  the  base  of  his  brain  and  from 
the  eyebrows.  His  head  ran  backwards,  his  forehead  rising  at  a 
low  angle  like  Clay's,  and  unlike  Webster's,  which  was  almost 
perpendicular.  The  size  of  his  hat  measured  at  the  hatter's  block 
was  seven  and  one  eighth,  his  head  being  from  ear  to  ear  six  and 
one  half  inches  and  from  the  front  to  the  back  of  the  brain  eight 
inches.  Thus  measured  it  was  not  below  the  medium  size.  The 
look  of  gloom  or  sadness,  so  often  noted  in  the  many  descriptions 
of  his  countenance,  was  more  or  less  accentuated  by  a  peculiar- 
ity of  one  eye,  the  pupil  of  which  had  a  tendency  to  turn  or  roll 
slightly  toward  the  upper  lid,  whereas  the  other  one  maintained 
its  normal  position  equidistant  between  the  upper  and  lower  lids. 

His  legs  and  arms  were  very  long  and  in  undue  proportion  to 
the  rest  of  his  body.  Sitting  in  a  chair  he  was  not  taller  than 
ordinary  men;  it  was  only  when  he  stood  up  that  he  loomed 
above  them.  He  walked  like  an  Indian,  with  even  tread,  the 
inner  sides  of  his  feet  being  parallel,  betokening  caution.  He 
put  the  whole  foot  flat  down  on  the  ground,  not  landing  on  the 
heel;  he  likewise  lifted  it  all  at  once,  not  rising  from  the  toe; 
hence  there  was  no  spring  to  his  step  as  he  moved  up  and  down 
the  street. 

Thus  stood,  walked,  and  looked  this  unusual  man.  True  he 
was  plain,  unprepossessing,  yea  even  commonplace,  but  when 
that  gray  eye  and  every  feature  of  that  earnest  and  deeply 
thoughtful  face  were  lighted  up  by  an  inward  soul  reflecting  the 


HIS  MENTAL  PROCESSES  115 

fires  of  righteous  zeal  and  determination,  then  it  was  that  these 
apparently  homely  features  beamed  rather  than  repelled  or 
sank  beneath  the  sea  of  inspiration  that  sometimes  flooded  his 
face.  In  fact,  there  were  times  when  it  seemed  to  me  as  if  Lin- 
coln's soul  was  fresh  from  the  hands  of  Him  who  gave  it  being. 

Mr.  Lincoln's  perceptions  were  slow,  cold,  and  exact.  Every- 
thing came  to  him  in  its  precise  shape  and  color.  No  lurking  il- 
lusion or  other  error,  false  in  itself  and  clad  for  the  moment  in 
robes  of  splendor,  ever  passed  undetected  or  unchallenged  over 
the  threshold  of  his  mind  —  that  point  which  divides  vision  from 
the  realm  and  home  of  thought.  He  saw  all  things  through  a 
perfect  moral  lens.  There  was  no  diffraction  or  refraction  there; 
nor  was  he  impulsive,  fanciful,  or  imaginative.  He  threw  his 
whole  mental  light  around  the  object  and  in  time  substance  and 
quality  stood  apart,  form  and  color  took  their  respective  places, 
and  all  was  clear  and  exact  in  his  mind.  He  was  pitiless  and  un- 
relenting in  his  search  for  the  truth.  His  skill  in  the  association 
of  ideas  was  as  marvelous  as  his  memory  was  tenacious  and  un- 
erring. His  language  indicated  oddity  of  vision  as  well  as  ex- 
pression. In  his  search  for  words  he  was  sometimes  hard  pressed 
to  give  proper  expression  to  his  thoughts;  first,  because  he  was 
in  no  sense  a  master  of  the  English  language,  and  secondly,  be- 
cause in  the  vast  store  of  words  there  were  so  few  at  his  limited 
command  that  represented  the  exact  shade  of  meaning  he  in- 
tended to  convey.  This  will  account  for  the  frequent  use  by  him 
of  stories  and  maxims  with  which  to  impress  the  truth  of  his 
convictions  upon  the  minds  of  his  listeners. 

Mr.  Lincoln  in  mental  action  was  causative;  his  mind  appar- 
ently with  an  automatic  movement  ran  behind  facts,  principles, 
and  all  things  to  their  origin  —  their  first  cause.  He  was  remorse- 
less in  his  analysis  of  everything  he  sought  to  determine.  He 
would  stop  in  the  street  and  study  a  machine.  He  would  whittle 
things  to  a  point  and  then  count  the  numberless  inclined  planes 
and  their  pitch  making  the  point.  Mastering  and  defining  this, 
he  would  cut  that  point  back  and  get  a  broad  transverse  section 
of  his  pine  stick  and  peel  and  define  that.  Clocks,  omnibuses, 
and  language,  paddle-wheels  and  idioms  never  escaped  his  ob- 
servation and  analysis.  Before  he  could  form  an  idea  of  any- 
thing, before  he  expressed  his  opinion,  he  must  know  it  in  origin 


ii6  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

and  history,  in  substance  and  quality,  in  magnitude  and  gravity. 
He  must  know  his  subject  inside  and  outside,  upside  and  down- 
side. 

All  facts  and  principles  had  to  run  through  the  crucible  of  an 
inflexible  judgment  and  be  tested  by  the  fierce  fires  of  an  ana- 
lytical mind;  and  hence  when  he  spoke  his  utterances  rang  out 
with  the  clear  ring  of  genuine  gold  upon  the  counters  of  the 
understanding.  His  reasoning  through  logic,  comparison,  and 
analogy  was  unerring  and  deadly;  his  adversaries  dreaded  liis 
originality  of  idea,  condensation  and  force  of  expression,  not  less 
than  they  writhed  under  the  convincing  effect  of  singularly  sig- 
nificant and  apt  stories.  Woe  be  to  the  man  who  hugged  to  his 
bosom  a  secret  error  if  Abraham  Lincoln  ever  suspected  or 
started  in  chase  of  it!  Time  and  all  the  legerdemain  of  debate 
could  hide  it  in  no  nook  or  angle  of  space  in  which  he  would  not 
detect  and  expose  it. 

Though  accurate  in  perception,  a  profound  thinker  as  well  as 
analyzer,  his  judgment  on  some  occasions  and  in  certain  ques- 
tions was  pitiably  weak.  It  might  be  said  that  his  mind  was  in 
some  respects  slow  and  ponderous,  not  quick  or  discriminating; 
but  when  it  came  to  the  concentration  of  his  great  powers  of 
reasoning,  from  cause  to  effect,  the  supremacy  of  truth,  his  de- 
ductions could  not  be  overcome.  When  his  mind  could  not 
grasp  premises  from  which  to  argue,  he  was  weaker  than  a  child, 
because  he  had  none  of  the  child's  intuitions —  the  soul's  quick 
vision  of  the  assembled  facts.  To  that  extent  Mr.  Lincoln  was 
lacking  in  his  mental  structure.  He  was  on  the  alert  if  a  prin- 
ciple was  involved  or  a  man's  rights  at  stake  in  a  transaction; 
but  he  could  see  no  harm  or  impropriety  in  wearing  a  sack-coat 
instead  of  a  swallow-tail  at  an  evening  party,  nor  could  he  realize 
the  offense  of  telling  a  coarse  or  questionable  story  if  a  preacher 
happened  to  be  present.  . 

He  did  not  care  for  forms,  ways,  methods  —  the  non-substan- 
tial things  of  this  world.  He  could  not,  by  reason  of  his  structure 
and  mental  make-up,  be  much  concerned  about  them;  nor  did 
he  manifest  an  intense  interest  in  any  individual  man  —  the 
dollar,  property,  rank,  order,  manners,  or  similar  things;  neither 
did  he  have  any  avarice  or  other  like  vice  in  his  nature.  He  de- 
tested somewhat  all  technical  rules  in  law  and  the  sciences,  con- 


HIS  INDIFFERENCE  TO  FORMS          117 

tending  they  were,  as  a  general  thing,  mere  forms  founded  on 
arbitrary  ideas  and  not  on  reason,  truth,  and  the  right.  What 
satisfied  a  small  or  narrow  and  critical  mind  did  not  always  suit 
Mr.  Lincoln  any  more  than  a  child's  clothes  would  his  body.  As  a 
rule  he  took  but  slight  interest  in  purely  local  affairs;  was  hardly 
ever  present  at  a  town  meeting,  and  the  few  gatherings  which 
he  did  attend  almost  invariably  were  political  conventions.  He 
seemed  not  to  care  who  succeeded  to  the  presidency  of  this  or 
that  society  or  railroad  company;  who  made  the  most  money; 
who  was  going  to  Philadelphia  and  what  were  the  costs  of  such 
a  trip;  who  among  his  friends  got  this  office  or  that  —  who  was 
elected  street  commissioner  or  health  inspector.  No  principle  of 
justice,  truth,  or  right  being  involved  in  these  things,  he  could 
not  be  moved  by  them.  It  only  remains  to  say  that  he  was  in- 
flexibly steadfast  in  human  transactions  when  it  was  necessary  to 
be  so  and  not  otherwise.  One  moment  he  was  as  pliable  and  ex- 
pansive as  gentle  air;  the  next  as  firm  and  unerring  as  gravity 
itself. 

Mr.  Lincoln's  understanding,  his  conscience,  yea,  everything, 
yielded  submissively  to  the  despotism  of  his  reason.  His  ana- 
lytical power  was  profound.  In  his  mental  organization  logic 
occupied  the  throne.  His  vision  was  clear;  his  pursuit  of  the 
truth  intense  and  unremitting.  His  conscience  ruled  his  heart; 
he  was  always  just  before  he  was  generous.  But  above  and  be- 
yond everything  else  it  was  plain  to  his  friends  that  his  strength 
lay  in  his  ability  to  reason.  From  that  height  he  came  down  with 
crushing  and  irresistible  force.  The  tallest  intellects  in  the  world 
bowed  to  him,  and  it  is,  therefore,  no  stretch  of  the  truth  to  de- 
clare that,  when  viewed  from  the  elevated  standpoint  of  reason 
and  logic,  he  was  easily  one  of  the  greatest  intellects  the  nation 
has  produced.  Another  strong  point  in  his  construction  was  his 
knowledge  of  himself;  he  understood  and  comprehended  his  own 
capacity  —  what  he  did  and  why  he  did  it  —  better,  -perhaps, 
than  any  other  man  of  his  day.  He  had  a  wider  and  deeper 
conception  of  his  environments  and  limitations  than  men  who 
made  greater  pretensions  or  had  enjoyed  the  benefits  of  more 
thorough  training. 

Viewing  his  life  as  a  whole  the  student  of  history  will  be  sure 
to  conclude  that  the  elements  which  predominated  in  Mr.  Lin- 


ii8  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

coin's  peculiar  character  were:  first,  his  great  capacity  and 
power  of  reason;  second,  his  conscience  and  excellent  under- 
standing; third,  an  exalted  idea  of  the  sense  of  right  and  equity; 
fourth,  his  intense  veneration  of  the  true  and  the  good.  What- 
ever of  life,  vigor,  and  power  of  eloquence  his  peculiar  qualities 
gave  him;  whatever  there  was  in  a  fair,  manly,  and  impartial 
administration  of  justice  under  law  to  all  men;  whatever  there 
was  in  a  strong  will  in  the  right,  governed  by  tenderness  and 
mercy;  whatever  there  was  in  toil  and  sublime  patience;  what- 
ever there  was  in  these  things  or  a  wise  combination  of  them 
Lincoln  is  justly  entitled  to  in  making  up  the  impartial  verdict  of 
history.  These  limit  and  define  him  as  a  lawyer,  an  orator,  a 
statesman,  and  a  man.  They  developed  in  all  the  walks  of  his 
life;  they  were  his  law;  they  were  his  nature  —  they  were  Abra- 
ham Lincoln. 


CHAPTER  X 

Behind  the  door  of  Lincoln's  home  —  What  the  neighbors  saw  and  heard  — 
The  testimony  of  James  Gourley  —  Lincoln's  garden  and  dooryard  —  The  ups 
and  downs  of  life  at  the  Eighth  Street  home  —  How  Lincoln  and  his  wife  agreed 

—  What  Josiah  P.  Kent  saw  and  remembered  —  Mrs.  Lincoln  and  the  iceman 

—  The  family  carriage  —  Buying  a  ticket  to  the  circus  —  Juvenile  pranks  at 
Lincoln's  expense  —  Mrs.  Lincoln's  peculiarities  of  temperament. 

IN  order  to  bring  out  in  sharper  outline  the  human  side  of 
Lincoln,  to  learn  more  definitely  how  he  lived  and  bore 
himself  with  the  door  of  his  home  closed  against  the  in- 
trusion of  an  anxious  but  heartless  world,  Mr.  Herndon 
was  good  enough  to  put  me  on  the  track  of  much  rare  and 
authentic  information  which,  otherwise,  might  not  have 
reached  the  public.  Among  other  things  I  remember  he 
gave  me  the  names  and  whereabouts  of  certain  neighbors 
of  Lincoln,  urging  me  to  "run  them  down  and  pump  them 
dry,"  as  he  expressed  it,  a  suggestion  which  I  promptly 
undertook  to  carry  out.  Judged  by  their  opportunities 
and  the  angle  from  which  these  people  viewed  Lincoln, 
I  could  not  but  agree  with  Herndon  that  their  testimony 
was  of  unquestioned  value  and  importance.  One  of 
Lincoln's  closest  neighbors  was  James  Gourley,  a  shoe- 
maker, who  lived  in  a  house  adjoining  the  Lincoln  home- 
stead on  the  east.  The  Lincolns  and  Gourleys  were  on  the 
best  of  terms,  which  is  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  one  of 
the  first  persons  in  Springfield  selected  by  Lincoln  for 
a  position  in  Washington  after  he  became  President  was 
a  son  of  Gourley. 

"I  lived  next  door  to  the  Lincolns  for  nineteen  years," 
said  Gourley,  "and  knew  the  family  well.   The  truth  is  I 


120  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

knew  him  as  early  as  1834.  At  that  time  he  was  living  in 
New  Salem,  where  he  was  postmaster.  He  used  to  come 
from  there  afoot  to  Springfield  and  wind  up  at  Stuart  and 
Dummer's  office,  where  he  borrowed  books  and  took  them 
back  with  him.  Even  then  he  was  a  great  story-teller,  and 
when  he  was  at  Stuart's  office  as  I  have  told  you  he  always 
had  a  crowd  about  him.  In  those  days  I  used  to  run  foot- 
races, and  I  recall  that  E.  D.  Baker  challenged  me  and  I 
ran  a  race  with  him.  Baker  was  a  close  friend  of  Lincoln, 
but  notwithstanding  the  friendship  between  them  Lincoln 
backed  me  and  I  beat  Baker.  In  the  course  of  time  Lincoln 
moved  here  to  Springfield  and  finally  became  my  neighbor. 
He  used  to  come  to  our  house,  his  feet  in  a  pair  of  loose 
slippers,  and  wearing  an  old,  faded  pair  of  trousers  fas- 
tened with  one  suspender.  Sometimes  he  came  for  milk. 
Our  rooms  were  low,  and  one  day  he  said:  'Jim,  you'll  have 
to  lift  your  loft  a  little  higher:  I  can't  straighten  out  under 
it  very  well.'  To  my  wife,  who  was  short  in  stature, 
he  used  to  say  that  little  people  had  some  advantages: 
they  required  less  'wood  and  wool  to  make  them  comfort- 
able.' 

"As  I  remember  Mr.  Lincoln  he  was  a  poor  landscape 
gardener  and  his  yard  was  graced  by  very  little  shrubbery. 
He  once  decided  to  plant  some  rosebushes  in  the  yard,  and 
called  my  attention  to  them,  but  in  a  short  time  he  had 
forgotten  all  about  them.  He  never  planted  any  vines  or 
trees  of  any  kind;  in  fact  seemed  to  take  little,  if  any,  inter- 
est in  things  of  that  kind.  Finally,  however,  yielding  to  my 
oft-repeated  suggestion,  he  undertook  to  cultivate  a  garden 
in  the  yard  back  of  his  house;  but  one  season's  experience 
in  caring  for  his  flowers  and  vegetables  sufficed  to  cure 


UPS  AND  DOWNS  OF  HOME  LIFE        121 

him  of  all  desire  for  another.  In  other  respects  he  was  more 
or  less  domestic  in  his  tastes.  He  kept  his  own  horse;  feed- 
ing and  caring  for  the  animal  when  at  home.  He  fed  and 
milked  his  own  cow  and  even  sawed  his  own  wood. 

"Like  all  families  the  Lincoln's  had  their  ups  and  downs, 
too,  but  viewing,  as  a  whole,  the  almost  twenty  years  I  lived 
beside  them,  I  think  it  is  safe  to  say  they  agreed  moderately 
well.  As  a  rule  Mr.  Lincoln  yielded  to  his  wife  —  in  fact, 
almost  any  other  man,  had  he  known  the  woman  as  I  did, 
would  have  done  the  same  thing.  She  was  gifted  with  an 
unusually  high  temper  and  that  invariably  got  the  better 
of  her.  She  was  also  very  excitable  and  when  wrought  up 
frequently  had  hallucinations.  I  remember  once  when  her 
husband  was  away  from  home  she  conceived  the  notion 
that  some  rough  characters  had  designs  on  her  and  her 
hired  girl.  She  had  worked  herself  up  to  a  furious  pitch, 
weeping  and  wailing  loud  enough  to  be  heard  by  the  neigh- 
bors, and  even  asked  me  to  spend  the  night  at  her  house 
guarding  the  premises  and  thus  protect  her  and  her  girl.  Of 
course  I  expressed  a  willingness  to  do  whatever  she  asked, 
although  I  knew  the  whole  thing  was  imaginary  as  well  as 
absurd.  This  was  not  the  only  time  her  demonstrations 
were  loud  enough  to  be  heard  by  some  of  the  neighbors. 
If  she  became  excited  or  troublesome,  as  she  sometimes  did 
when  Mr.  Lincoln  was  at  home,  it  was  interesting  to  know 
what  he  would  do.  At  first  he  would  apparently  pay  no 
attention  to  her.  Frequently  he  would  laugh  at  her,  which 
is  a  risky  thing  to  do  in  the  face  of  an  infuriated  wife;  but 
generally,  if  her  impatience  continued,  he  would  pick  up 
one  of  the  children  and  deliberately  leave  home  as  if  to 
take  a  walk.  After  he  had  gone,  the  storm  usually  sub- 


122  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

sided,  but  sometimes  it  would  break  out  again  when  he 
returned. 

"Notwithstanding  her  unfortunate  temper  and  her  pe- 
culiarities generally,  I  never  thought  Mrs.  Lincoln  was  as 
bad  as  some  people  here  in  Springfield  have  represented 
her.  The  truth  is  she  had  more  than  one  redeeming  trait. 
She  and  I  rarely  ever  differed  —  in  fact,  we  were  good 
friends.  Although  I  do  not  believe  she  could  plead  justi- 
fication for  many  of  the  uncalled-for  things  she  did,  yet, 
when  I  hear  her  criticized  by  some  people,  I  cannot  but  re- 
call what  she  once  said  to  me  about  her  husband,  which 
was,  that  if  he  had  been  at  home  as  much  as  he  ought,  she 
could  have  been  happier  and  loved  him  more." 

Another  man  to  whom  I  had  been  referred  by  Herndon 
and  other  old  residents  of  Springfield  was  Josiah  P.  Kent. 
Although  not  so  well  advanced  in  years  as  Gourley,  he 
lived  as  near  and  knew  the  Lincolns  quite  as  well,  especially 
during  the  closing  years  of  the  family's  stay  in  Springfield. 
At  first  he  seemed  a  little  reluctant  to  express  himself,  and 
it  was  only  after  a  second  visit  coupled  with  the  urgent 
suggestion  of  an  old  friend  that  he  was  induced  to  unbosom 
himself.  His  home,  he  told  me,  was  in  the  same  block  with 
the  Lincoln  residence,  and  he  was  at  the  latter  so  often  and 
so  much  of  the  time  he  became  virtually  a  member  of  the 
household. 

"It  was  largely  at  the  instance  of  my  mother,"  he  said, 
"that  I  went  there.  She  arranged  with  Mrs.  Lincoln  that 
I  should  help  the  family  by  doing  the  various  things  a 
young  man  of  my  age  should  do  to  befriend  a  neighbor.  It 
was  late  in  the  fifties  when  Robert  was  away  attending 
college  in  the  East.  Mr.  Lincoln  was  also  away  from  home 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  JOSIAH  P.  KENT     123 

a  good  deal,  so  that  my  willingness  and  service  to  the  fam- 
ily were  deeply  appreciated.  I  spent  many  a  night  at  the 
house,  sleeping  usually  in  the  same  room  which  Robert 
had  occupied.  I  took  care  of  the  horse  and  in  general  made 
myself  useful  about  the  premises.  In  the  course  of  time 
Mrs.  Lincoln  induced  her  husband  to  purchase  a  carriage 
after  which  I  was  duly  installed  as  coachman.  In  order  to 
keep  up  with  the  fashion  of  that  day,  she  hired  me  to  drive 
her  about  town  on  certain  days,  usually  for  a  few  hours,  in 
the  afternoon,  going  from  house  to  house  where  she  made 
her  calls.  For  this  service  I  was  to  receive  twenty-five  cents 
each  time  I  made  the  drive.  One  day  I  remember  she  offered 
an  additional  quarter  of  a  dollar  if  I  would  go  down  to  see 
Myers,  the  iceman  —  there  was  only  one  dealer  in  ice  in 
those  days  —  and  learn  why  he  had  ceased  bringing  her 
ice.  I  saw  the  man  and  he  told  me  he  had  ceased  supplying 
the  lady  with  his  commodity  because  she  lost  her  temper  a 
day  or  two  before,  accused  him  of  cheating  in  weight,  and 
abused  him  so  loudly  he  had  resolved  never  to  call  at  her 
house  again.  After  an  ingenious  explanation  and  prolonged 
entreaty  on  my  part,  however,  he  finally  relented,  and  the 
next  day  appeared  at  the  Lincoln  house  with  the  required 
allotment  of  ice. 

"Meanwhile  a  circus  was  advertised  for  Springfield  and 
I  wanted  to  go.  I  had  taken  Mrs.  Lincoln  on  one  drive 
which,  with  the  amount  due  me  for  visiting  and  influenc- 
ing the  iceman,  made  a  total  of  fifty  cents  —  the  price  of  a 
ticket  to  the  show.  The  good  lady  had  not  yet  paid  me,  and 
I  did  n't  have  the  courage  to  ask  her  for  it.  But  the  circus 
was  due  the  next  day.  Meanwhile  a  friend  told  me  that  Mr. 
Lincoln  had  just  reached  town  and  advised  me  to  state  the 


I24  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

case  to  him  and  ask  for  the  money.  Being  more  or  less  des- 
perate, I  finally  resolved  to  do  it.  Arrived  at  a  certain 
street  corner  I  lay  in  wait  for  Mr.  Lincoln,  who  was  sure  to 
pass  by  on  his  way  home.  In  due  time  he  appeared.  I  ac- 
costed him  and  having  summoned  all  my  courage  blush- 
ingly  told  my  story.  He  eyed  me  closely  and  seemed  deeply 
interested  especially  when  I  mentioned  the  approaching 
circus.  'Fifty  cents,'  he  said,  'is  rather  small  pay  for  the 
service  you  seem  to  have  rendered  Mrs.  Lincoln  and  you 
should  have  been  paid  long  ago.'  He  smiled  and  drew  from 
his  pocket  the  money;  but  it  was  not  the  expected  fifty  — 
it  was  seventy-five  cents.  'What's  the  extra  twenty-five 
cents  for?'  I  asked.  'That's  interest  on  your  investment,' 
he  laughed,  and  then  resumed  his  walk  toward  home. 

"  Mr.  Lincoln  was  well  liked  by  the  boys  of  our  neigh- 
borhood notwithstanding  the  many  pranks  we  played  on 
him  in  some  of  which  his  own  boys  occasionally  joined. 
He  seemed  to  understand  as  well  as  enjoy  boy  nature  per- 
fectly. We  were  in  the  habit,  after  dark,  of  hiding  behind 
a  certain  fence  along  which  people  walked  on  their  way 
home  from  downtown.  We  had  a  lath  which  we  would 
poke  between  two  pickets  just  high  enough  above  the 
ground  to  knock  off  the  headgear  of  the  passer-by.  Con- 
cealed from  sight  behind  the  fence  we  carried  on  our  sport 
without  detection.  One  evening  as  usual  we  heard  foot- 
steps coming  down  the  sidewalk,  and  although  it  was  too 
dark  —  there  were  no  street  lights  then  —  to  determine 
who  it  was,  we  jumped  behind  the  fence  and  prepared  for 
action.  The  lath  did  its  work  and  off  came  a  tall  stiff  hat. 
The  victim  was  no  less  a  person  than  Mr.  Lincoln.  We  sup- 
pressed our  giggles  the  best  we  could  and  prepared  for  the 


PRANKS  AT  LINCOLN'S  EXPENSE        125 

punishment,  or  at  least  the  rebuke,  which  we  felt  sure 
would  follow;  but  to  our  surprise  Mr.  Lincoln  simply 
picked  up  his  hat,  and  although  he  could  not  see  us,  he 
laughed,  exclaimed,  '  Boys,  you  ought  to  be  ashamed  to 
impose  on  an  old  man,'  and  resumed  his  saunter  down  the 
street  as  if  nothing  unusual  had  happened. 

"After  the  Lincolns  had  had  their  carriage  for  some  time, 
or  until  the  novelty  of  owning  one  had  passed  away,  I  con- 
ceived the  idea  of  trying  to  borrow  it  for  an  afternoon's 
use  myself.  Accordingly  I  applied  to  Mr.  Lincoln  for  it, 
but  refrained  from  telling  him  where  I  wanted  to  drive  or 
who,  if  any  one  else,  I  expected  to  take  with  me.  The 
truth  is  I  intended  to  fill  the  conveyance  with  boys  —  in- 
cluding in  the  number  one  of  Mr.  Lincoln's  —  and  drive  the 
outfit  to  a  well-known  swimming  hole  some  distance  from 
town.  When  I  asked  Mr.  Lincoln  he  declined,  saying  that 
there  were  two  things  he  would  not  lend:  his  wife  and  his 
carriage;  but  he  added  that  I  might  have  the  use  of  his 
horse  and  harness.  After  he  was  gone,  and  without  his 
knowledge,  but  with  the  aid  of  another,  we  slipped  the  car- 
riage out,  filled  it  with  boys,  and  started  away;  but  just 
after  we  had  passed  the  edge  of  town  the  horse  became 
frightened  and  ran  away,  throwing  most  of  us  out  and  dam- 
aging the  vehicle.  A  near-by  blacksmith  was  secured  who 
repaired  the  break,  and  after  much  effort  we  succeeded  in 
getting  the  carriage  back  home.  Among  other  things  I 
remember  we  carefully  painted  the  place  which  the  black- 
smith had  marred  in  making  his  repairs,  and  then  threw 
dust  over  it  to  give  it  the  appearance  of  age  and  thus  re- 
move the  sign  of  fresh  paint;  in  fact,  we  made  every  effort 
possible  to  keep  all  knowledge  of  the  accident  from  Mr. 


126  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

Lincoln.  We  probably  succeeded,  for  if  he  learned  the  story 
he  never  mentioned  it  to  us." 

Beyond  what  is  here  recorded  Mr.  Kent  had  but  little 
more  to  communicate  regarding  Mrs.  Lincoln  herself.  The 
incidents  of  her  home  life  as  he  detailed  them  were  far  from 
voluminous;  nor  did  he  comment  very  freely  on  her  attitude 
and  bearing  toward  her  husband.  On  that  phase  of  the 
subject  he  was  more  or  less  non-committal.  He  insisted 
that  Maria  Drake,  the  girl  who,  for  a  long  time,  was  an  in- 
mate of  the  Lincoln  home,  could  shed  more  light  than  any 
one  else,  but  she  having  married  William  Clark  and  moved 
to  the  Far  West  many  years  before,  was  no  longer  acces- 
sible. Brief  and  definite  though  Kent's  recollection  of  Mrs. 
Lincoln  was,  I  found  that  he  agreed  substantially  with  the 
other  neighbors.  "  She  was  not  only  nervous  and  high-tem- 
pered," he  said  to  me,  alluding  to  Mrs.  Lincoln,  "but  very 
demonstrative,  quick  of  action,  and  at  times  loud.  It  was 
never  difficult  to  locate  her.  It  mattered  not  who  was  pres- 
ent when  she  fell  into  a  rage,  for  nothing  would  restrain  her. 
The  iceman  could  testify  to  that.  Her  voice  was  shrill  and 
at  times  so  penetrating,  especially  when  summoning  the 
children  or  railing  at  some  one  whose  actions  had  awakened 
her  temper,  she  could  easily  be  heard  over  the  neighbor- 
hood. When  thus  aroused  and  giving  vent  to  her  feelings, 
it  is  little  wonder  that  Mr.  Lincoln  would  suddenly  think 
of  an  engagement  he  had  downtown,  grasp  his  hat,  and 
start  for  his  office  by  the  shortest  and  most  direct  route  he 
knew." 


CHAPTER  XI 

Lincoln  as  a  lawyer  —  Estimates  of  David  Davis  and  others  —  First  leaning 
toward  the  law  manifested  in  Indiana  —  Borrowing  books  of  Judge  Pitcher,  of 
Rockport  —  Attending  squire's  court  at  Gentryville  —  Studying  law  books  af- 
ter reaching  New  Salem  —  Admission  to  the  bar  at  Springfield  —  His  opinion 
of  examinations  —  Story  of  an  applicant  he  himself  examined  —  The  note 
to  Judge  Logan  —  Hawthorne  vs.  Woolridge,  his  first  case:  its  history  and 
termination  —  Scammon  vs.  Cline,  his  first  case  in  the  Supreme  Court  —  His 
last  appearance  in  court  —  His  three  partnerships  —  His  wonderful  ability  as  a 
reasoner  —  The  scope  and  extent  of  his  practice  —  Range  and  size  of  his  fees 
—  His  skill  and  care  in  the  preparation  of  papers  —  The  trial  of  Bailey  vs.  Crom- 
well proving  that  a  negro  girl  was  not  a  slave  —  Also  Carman  vs.  Glasscock  in- 
volving the  navigability  of  the  Sangamon  River. 

NOTWITHSTANDING  the  copious  and  unprecedented  array 
of  matter  that  has  been  apportioned  to  an  eager  world 
regarding  the  life  of  Lincoln,  it  cannot  be  said  that  his 
biographers  have  provided  as  broad  and  exhaustive  an  ac- 
count of  his  varied  achievements  as  we  are  entitled  to 
have.  This  is  especially  true  of  our  conception  of  him  as 
a  lawyer;  for  it  was  in  the  law  office  and  the  court-room 
that  many  of  his  peculiarities  and  traits  of  character  were 
brought  to  the  light.  When  delving  into  this  phase  of  his 
activities  I  found  that,  among  his  colleagues  at  the  bar  and 
others  equally  competent  to  judge,  no  two  agreed  in  their  es- 
timate of  his  genius  and  ability.  Two  men  who  have  written 
books  describing  him  as  a  lawyer  put  him  at  the  very  head 
of  the  list,  whereas  David  Davis  and  William  H.  Hern- 
don,  who  knew  him  longer  and  more  intimately,  probably, 
than  all  the  other  lawyers  at  the  Springfield  bar,  each  qual- 
ified what  they  said  about  him.  "He  could  hardly  be 
called  very  learned  in  the  profession,"  said  Davis,  "and 
yet  he  rarely  tried  a  cause  without  fully  understanding  the 


128  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

law  applicable  to  it.  At  the  same  time  it  can  be  said  that  he 
read  law  books  but  little  save  when  the  cause  in  hand  made 
it  necessary."  In  October,  1885,  Herndon  put  this  in  writ- 
ing: "Although  only  moderately  well  read  in  the  elemen- 
tary books  he  studied  so  thoroughly  certain  special  and 
adjudicated  cases  until  he  developed  into  a  good  practi- 
tioner. To  that  extent,  therefore,  it  is  fair  to  call  him  a 
case  lawyer.  Apparently  he  cared  but  little  for  forms,  rules 
of  pleading,  or  practice.  He  went  in  for  substance  mainly; 
but  in  the  end  became  a  good  nisi  prius  lawyer  and  a  bet- 
ter Supreme  Court  lawyer."  Here  is  the  tribute  of  Sam- 
uel C.  Parks,  one  of  his  colleagues:  "Lincoln's  conscience, 
reason,  and  judgment  worked  out  the  law  for  him.  It 
would 'not  do  to  call  him  a  great  lawyer,  for  he  was  not; 
but  it  is  fair  to  state  that  he  was  a  good  lawyer  under  con- 
ditions. He  was  not  as  quick  as  some  men  —  in  fact,  re- 
quired more  time  to  study  his  case  and  thus  arrive  at  the 
truth.  But  above  all  things  he  must  feel  that  he  was  right. 
For  a  man  who  was  for  a  quarter  of  a  century  both  a  law- 
yer and  a  politician,  he  was  the  most  honest  man  I  ever 
knew.  He  was  not  only  morally  honest,  but  intellectually 
so.  At  the  bar  he  was  strong  if  convinced  that  he  was  in 
the  right,  but  if  he  suspected  that  he  might  be  wrong  he 
was  the  weakest  lawyer  I  ever  saw." 

Though  Lincoln  was  not  a  profound  lawyer  in  the  sense 
that  the  jurist  John  Marshall  was,  or,  possibly,  as  able 
and  successful  a  nisi  prius  practitioner  as  was  Stephen  T. 
Logan,  yet,  from  an  intellectual  standpoint,  he  was  greater 
than  either.  For  clear  reasoning  power,  merciless  analogy, 
and  lucidity  of  statement  he  had  no  superior  at  the 
Illinois  bar,  and  yet  the  truth  is  there  never  was,  either 


LINCOLN  AS  A  LAWYER  129 

in  Illinois  or  elsewhere,  just  such  a  lawyer.  He  said  once 
he  had  never  read  a  law  book  through  in  all  his  life,  and 
yet  it  is  the  testimony  of  his  colleagues  that  he  was  a  most 
adroit  and  oftentimes  dangerous  antagonist.  In  the  lan- 
guage of  David  Davis:  "That  man  who  laughed  at  a  con- 
test with  the  clear  head,  the  brave  heart,  and  the  strong 
right  arm  of  Abraham  Lincoln  always  had  to  have  his 
laugh  first;  for  after  the  contest  had  ended  and  the  man 
woke  up  with  his  back  in  a  ditch,  laughing  was  too  seri- 
ous a  matter."  Whatever  he  may  have  lacked  of  the  del- 
icate polish  which  comes  of  collegiate  training  was  counter- 
balanced by  his  wonderfully  well-developed  reasoning 
powers.  "All  facts  and  principles,"  said  Herndon,  "had 
to  run  through  the  crucible  of  an  inflexible  judgment  and 
be  tested  by  the  fierce  fires  of  an  analytical  mind,  and  hence, 
when  he  spoke,  his  utterances  resounded  with  the  clear 
ring  of  genuine  gold  on  the  counters  of  the  understanding. 
His  reasoning  through  logic,  analogy,  and  comparison  was 
unerring  and  deadly.  His  adversaries  dreaded  his  origi- 
nality of  idea,  condensation  and  force  of  expression,  not  less 
than  they  writhed  under  the  convincing  effect  of  his  sin- 
gularly significant  and  apt  stories.  Woe  be  to  the  man  who 
hugged  to  his  bosom  a  secret  error  if  Abraham  Lincoln 
ever  set  out  to  uncover  it.  All  the  ingenuity  of  delusive 
reasoning,  all  the  legerdemain  of  debate,  could  hide  it  in 
no  nook  or  angle  of  space  in  which  he  would  not  detect 
and  expose  it." 

Who  or  what  really  prompted  Lincoln  to  adopt  the 
law  as  his  calling  through  life  has  never  been  determined. 
Along  with  numberless  others  I  confess  I  have  often  won- 
dered what  would  have  happened,  or  what,  if  any,  differ- 


130  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

ence  it  would  have  made  in  the  world's  history  if,  instead 
of  making  a  lawyer  of  himself,  he  had  taken  to  medicine, 
the  pulpit,  or  some  other  one  of  the  learned  professions.  It 
is  known  that  very  early  in  life,  while  living  in  Indiana,  he 
evinced  a  pronounced  fondness  for  the  argumentative  dis- 
putations which  so  often  took  place  at  the  store  and  the 
blacksmith  shop  in  Gentryville;  and  when  the  stage  was 
set  for  a  lawsuit  before  the  village  squire,  "Abe  Lincoln  was 
sure  to  be  on  hand  an  eager  and  attentive  listener."  Many 
years  ago,  when  I  was  at  Mount  Vernon,  Indiana,  I  learned 
from  Judge  John  Pitcher,  that  between  the  years  1820  and 
1830,  when  he  was  living  and  practicing  law  in  the  town  of 
Rockport,  the  county  seat  of  Spencer  County,  Indiana, 
Abraham  Lincoln  on  several  occasions  came  down  from  his 
home  in  the  village  of  Gentryville,  distant  about  fifteen 
miles,  and  talked  to  Judge  Pitcher  about  books,  asking 
how  to  read  them  and  how  in  other  ways  to  obtain  or  at 
least  improve  his  education.  "I  counseled  with  him,"  said 
Pitcher,  "  and  loaned  him  several  books,  some  of  them  be- 
ing law  books,  which  he  took  home  with  him  to  read.  I 
understood  he  wanted  to  become  a  lawyer  and  I  tried  to 
encourage  him."  The  specific  names  or  titles  of  the  vol- 
umes which  Judge  Pitcher  loaned  young  Lincoln  the 
former  did  not  indicate,  but  we  have  the  best  of  author- 
ity for  believing  that  the  first  law  book  to  which  he  had 
access  was  the  Revised  Statutes  of  Indiana,  a  small  volume 
loaned  to  him  by  his  boyhood  friend,  David  Turnham. 
This  statement  is  confirmed  by  Lincoln's  stepmother,  who 
was  visited  by  Herndon  at  her  home  near  Charleston, 
Illinois,  in  the  summer  of  1865,  and  later  by  a  son  of  Turn- 
ham  whom  I  met  several  times  during  my  sojourn  in  south- 


I 


JUDGE  JOHN  PITCHER 


STUDYING  LAW  IN  NEW  SALEM         131 

ern  Indiana.  It  is  said  —  but  it  is  only  a  tradition  and 
not  verified  —  that  while  still  a  young  man  in  Indiana, 
Lincoln  would  occasionally  journey  to  Boonville,  the 
county  seat  of  Warrick  County,  also  about  fifteen  miles 
from  Gentryville,  to  attend  sessions  of  the  court,  and  that 
on  one  occasion  he  was  so  profoundly  impressed  by  the 
argument  of  John  A.  Brackenridge,  who  appeared  for  the 
defense  in  a  murder  trial,  that  he  sought  the  latter  after 
court  adjourned  and  congratulated  him  on  the  brilliance 
and  effectiveness  of  his  speech. 

In  that  characteristic  bit  of  autobiography  which 
Lincoln  wrote  and  turned  over  to  Jesse  W.  Fell,  of  Bloom- 
ington,  Illinois,  in  1859,  he  relates  that  from  1832  to  1838, 
which  he  terms  his  legislative  period,  he  studied  law,  which 
would  indicate  that,  although  he  may  have  leaned  toward 
the  law  while  still  living  in  Indiana,  from  which  State  he 
emigrated  in  1 830,  he  did  not  decide  upon  it  as  a  profession, 
at  least  did  not  enter  on  a  systematic  study  of  its  principles, 
till  after  he  had  reached  and  located  in  the  village  of  New 
Salem,  in  Illinois.  It  is  probable  that  during  his  service 
in  the  Black  Hawk  War,  where  he  became  acquainted  with 
Major  John  T.  Stuart,  who  was  then  a  practicing  lawyer 
in  Springfield,  he  apprised  the  latter  of  his  .ambition;  at 
any  rate,  after  the  war  was  over  and  both  had  returned  to 
their  respective  homes,  Lincoln  would  frequently  trudge 
down  to  Springfield  from  New  Salem  to  borrow  or  return 
Stuart's  law  books. 

Lincoln's  induction  into  the  legal  arena  was  unattended 
by  any  display,  ceremony,  or  noteworthy  circumstance. 
The  first  step  in  the  formal  process  of  which  there  is  any 
evidence  is  the  following  entry  found  in  the  records  of 


132  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

the  Circuit  Court  of  Sangamon  County,  Illinois,  dated 
March  24,  1836:  "It  is  ordered  by  the  Court  that  it  be 
certified  that  Abraham  Lincoln  is  a  person  of  good  moral 
character."  The  next  item  appears  in  the  records  of  the 
Supreme  Court  of  Illinois,  where  it  is  shown  under  date  of 
September  9, 1836,  that  he  was  licensed  to  practice  in  all  the 
courts  of  the  State  by  two  justices  of  the  Supreme  Court. 
On  March  ist  of  the  following  year  the  clerk  entered 
his  name  on  the  roll  of  attorneys  and  he  thus  became 
a  full-fledged  lawyer.  After  March  i,  1841,  the  Supreme 
Court  adopted  a  rule  requiring  all  applicants  for  admission 
to  the  bar  to  present  themselves  in  person  for  examination 
in  open  court.  Whether  Lincoln  underwent  any  exam- 
ination either  private  or  in  open  court  is  not  known.  The 
truth  is  he  never  put  much  faith  in  the  propriety  or  efficacy 
of  the  conventional  examination.  He  believed  there  were 
other  if  not  better  ways  of  determining  a  man's  fitness  for 
a  given  task  or  position  than  the  regulation  test  questions. 
"I  personally  wish,"  he  said  in  a  letter  addressed  to  the 
Secretary  of  War,  November  1 1, 1 863  — just  eight  days  be- 
fore he  delivered  the  Gettysburg  Address — "Jacob  Freese, 
of  New  Jersey,  to  be  appointed  colonel  for  a  colored  reg- 
iment, and  this  regardless,  whether  he  can  tell  the  exact 
shade  of  Julius  Caesar's  hair." 

Before  the  close  of  the  fifties  Lincoln  was  a  member 
of  a  committee  appointed  by  the  Supreme  Court  of  Illinois 
to  examine  applicants  for  admission  to  the  bar.  At  the 
town  of  Bloomington  he  was  approached  one  day  by  Jona- 
than Birch,  a  young  man  who  for  some  time  had  been  a 
student  in  the  office  of  a  practicing  attorney  there,  and 
desired  to  undergo  the  required  examination.  It  happens 


EXAMINING  AN  APPLICANT  133 

that  I  knew  the  applicant  well,  for  he  later  removed  to 
Indiana  where  I  was  born;  was  my  neighbor,  my  legal 
adviser,  and  for  upwards  of  forty  years  one  of  my  most 
trusted  and  intimate  friends.  He  told  me  that  when  the 
matter  of  his  examination  was  presented  to  Lincoln, 
he  was  directed  by  the  latter  to  meet  him  at  the  hotel  in 
the  evening  after  court  had  adjourned  for  the  day.  "At 
the  appointed  time,"  said  Mr.  Birch  when  he  related  the 
incident,  "I  knocked  at  the  door  of  his  room  and  was  ad- 
mitted. Motioning  me  to  be  seated  he  began  his  interrog- 
atories at  once  without  looking  at  me  a  second  time  to  be 
sure  of  the  identity  of  his  caller.  '  How  long  have  you  been 
studying  ? '  he  asked.  *  Almost  two  years/  was  my  response. 
'By  this  time  it  seems  to  me/  he  said  laughingly,  'you 
ought  to  be  able  to  determine  whether  you  have  in  you 
the  stuff  out  of  which  a  good  lawyer  can  be  made.'  Then 
he  asked  me  in  a  desultory  way  the  definition  of  a  contract 
and  two  or  three  other  fundamental  questions,  all  of  which 
I  answered  readily  and,  as  I  thought,  correctly.  Beyond 
these  meager  inquiries,  as  I  now  recall  the  incident,  he 
asked  nothing  more.  Meanwhile,  sitting  on  the  edge  of  the 
bed  he  began  to  entertain  me  with  recollections  —  many  of 
them  characteristically  vivid  and  racy  —  of  his  own  prac- 
tice and  the  various  incidents  and  adventures  that  attended 
his  start  in  the  profession.  The  whole  proceeding  was  in- 
teresting and  yet  so  unusual,  if  not  grotesque,  I  was  at  a 
loss  to  determine  whether  I  was  really  being  examined  or 
not.  In  due  time  we  went  downstairs  and  over  to  the 
clerk's  office  in  the  court-house,  where  he  wrote  a  few  lines 
on  a  sheet  of  paper  which  he  enclosed  in  an  envelope  and 
directed  me  to  report  with  it  to  Judge  Stephen  T.  Logan, 


134  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

the  other  member  of  the  examining  committee  at  Spring- 
field. The  next  day  I  went  to  Springfield  where  I  deliv- 
ered the  note  as  directed.  On  reading  it  Judge  Logan 
smiled  and,  much  to  my  surprise,  gave  me  the  required 
certificate  or  license  without  asking  a  question  beyond 
mv  age>  residence  and  the  correct  way  of  spelling  my 
name.  The  note  from  Lincoln  read": 

MY  DEAR  JUDGE  — 

The  bearer  of  this  is  a  young  man  who  thinks  he  can  be  a 
lawyer.  Examine  him  if  you  want  to.  I  have  done  so  and  am 
satisfied.  He 's  a  good  deal  smarter  than  he  looks  to  be. 

Yours 

LINCOLN 

On  March  I,  1837,  when  he  had  gone  through  the  va- 
rious steps  and  become  a  fully  accredited  practitioner  by 
the  action  of  the  clerk  of  the  Supreme  Court  in  entering 
his  name  on  the  roll  of  attorneys  in  the  State,  Lincoln 
was  still  a  resident  of  the  village  of  New  Salem.  A  month 
and  half  later  he  had  removed  to  Springfield.  Years  ago 
Herndon  gave  me  the  papers,  in  Lincoln's  handwriting, 
containing  the  history  of  the  first  suit  or  court  proceeding 
in  which  Lincoln  figured  or  with  which  he  seems  to  have 
had  any  connection.  As  it  was  his  first  venture  in  that  line 
and  naturally  throws  more  or  less  light  on  his  evolution  as  a 
lawyer,  it  is  noteworthy  enough  to  warrant  a  brief  account 
of  its  origin  and  termination.  It  was  an  action  or,  more 
strictly  speaking,  three  actions  growing  out  of  one  episode 
or  transaction,  and  was  brought  by  James  P.  Hawthorn 
through  his  attorneys,  Walker  &  Hewitt,  in  the  circuit  court 
of  Sangamon  County,  Illinois.  Of  the  three  causes  one  was 
what  is  known  among  lawyers  as  an  action  on  assumpsit, 
or  breach  of  contract,  another  for  trespass  vi  et  armis,  and 


HIS  FIRST  CASE  135 

the  third  in  replevin.  With  the  exception  of  the  replevin 
suit,  which  was  not  brought  till  in  the  fall,  the  declaration 
or  complaint  in  each  case  —  which  was  the  initial  proceed- 
ing in  a  lawsuit  of  that  day  —  was  filed  July  i,  1836.  This 
was  before  Lincoln  had  appeared  before  the  two  justices 
of  the  Supreme  Court  to  secure  his  license  to  practice. 
John  T.  Stuart,  looking  forward  to  an  election  to  Congress 
and  who  was  soon  to  invite  Lincoln  to  enter  a  partnership 
with  him,  had  been  retained  by  the  defense;  but,  although 
the  pleadings  in  one  or  two  instances  bear  Stuart's  sig- 
nature, they  are  almost  without  exception  in  Lincoln's 
characteristic  and  legible  handwriting.  Stuart  soon  became 
absorbed  in  his  race  for  Congress;  at  any  rate,  it  was  but 
a  brief  time  until  Lincoln  assumed  active  charge  of  the  de- 
fendant's interests.  Stephen  T.  Logan,  destined  also  sev- 
eral years  later  to  become  a  partner  of  Lincoln,  was  the 
judge,  and  William  Butler,  at  whose  home  Lincoln  was  a 
boarder  and  so  continued  till  his  marriage  to  Mary  Todd> 
was  the  clerk. 

The  suit  in  assumpsit  was  based  on  Wooldridge's  failure 
to  furnish  Hawthorn,  the  plaintiff,  "two  yoke  of  oxen  to 
break  up  twenty  acres  of  prairie  sod-ground";  also  be- 
cause of  his  refusal  to  allow  Hawthorn  to  have  access  to  a 
tract  of  ground  on  which  the  latter  had  contracted  with 
him  to  raise  a  crop  of  "corn  or  wheat  at  the  option  of  the 
plaintiff";  for  all  of  which  he  demanded  a  hundred  dollars. 
The  trespass  case  was  of  greater  weight  and  importance. 
The  declaration  sets  out  in  detail  what  happened  when 
Hawthorn,  despite  the  threats  and  pro  tests  of  Wooldridge, 
undertook  to  reach  the  disputed  cornfield.  The  situation 
became  more  or  less  dramatic.  It  was  charged  of  Wool- 


136  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

dridge,  Lincoln's  client,  that:  "He  struck,  beat,  bruised 
and  knocked  him  (Hawthorn)  down;  plucked,  pulled  and 
tore  out  large  quantities  of  hair  from  his  head;  that  with  a 
stick  and  his  fists  he  struck  plaintiff  a  great  many  violent 
blows  and  strokes  on  and  about  his  face,  head,  breast,  back, 
shoulders,  hips,  legs,  and  divers  other  parts  of  his  body; 
that  he  struck,  shook,  pulled,  pushed  and  knocked  plaintiff 
to  the  ground;  violently  hit,  kicked,  struck  and  beat  him 
a  great  many  other  blows  and  strokes;  and  also  then  and 
there,  with  great  violence,  forced,  pushed,  thrust  and 
gouged  his  fingers  into  plaintiff's  eyes;  by  means  of  which 
assault  and  consequent  illness,  injuries,  loss  of  time  and 
expense  for  medical  attention  said  plaintiff  demands  dam- 
ages in  the  sum  of  five  hundred  dollars  and  other  proper 
relief."  The  replevin  suit  demanded  the  return  of  "one 
black  and  white  yoke  of  steers,  one  black  cow,  and  calf  and 
one  prairie  plow,"  together  with  twenty  dollars  damages  for 
the  unlawful  detention  of  the  same.  The  exceedingly  mod- 
est demand  for  money  reparation  in  all  these  cases  would 
seem  to  indicate  that  the  modern  damage  suit,  which  has 
gradually  attained  such  profitable  proportions*  had  not  yet 
come  into  vogue. 

With  three  suits  against  his  first  client  on  hand  at  one 
time  we  may  well  imagine  that  Lincoln,  the  young  barris- 
ter, was  in  many  respects  a  busy  man.  The  record  shows, 
as  his  first  step,  a  plea  filed  October  5, 1836,  containing  the 
conventional  denial  of  the  alleged  trespasses  in  support  of 
which  he  puts  himself  "  upon  the  country."  On  the  same 
dayi  with  a  view  either  to  gain  time  or  in  some  way  em- 
barrass the  plaintiff,  or  both,  he  files  the  affidavit  of  his 
client  reciting  the  fact  that,  as  the  plaintiff  is  a  young  man 


HIS  FIRST  CASE  137 

without  family  or  property,  and  the  court  officers  are  in 
danger  of  losing  their  fees,  he  should  therefore  be  required 
to  furnish  a  bond  for  costs.  On  the  following  day,  much  to 
the  surprise  of  the  defendant  and  his  counsel,  the  required 
bond  for  costs  was  duly  executed  and  filed.  The  skirmish 
for  vantage-ground  was  now  becoming  brisk  and  ani- 
mated. The  next  move  on  Lincoln's  part  was  to  draw  up 
and  file  an  account  which  he  undertakes  to  "exhibit  and 
prove  as  an  offset"  to  the  demand  on  assumpsit  containing 
sundry  items  illustrative  of  commercial  values  then  current 
on  the  frontier.  With  the  exception  of  one  line  added  by 
Stuart  the  entire  account  is  in  Lincoln's  hand  as  follows: 

James  P.  Hawthorn  to  David  Wooldridge  Dr. 

To  Boarding  from  the  first  of  April  until  the  first  day  of  No- 
vember 1835  at  $1-50  cents  per  week  being  30  weeks  4 
days  $45.75 

To  use  of  waggon  &  team  from  first  of  April  till  first  of  No- 
vember 1836.  $90.00 

1834 

To  1 1  bushels  of  wheat  @  75  8.25 

1836  Jan'y  8  Cash  lent  100.00 

"    May  &  June  Breaking  10  acres  of  Prairy  20.00 

$264.00 

To  money  lent  to  enter  land,  afterwards  -entered  in  the 

name  of  your  brother  50.00 

What  next  followed  before  the  final  encounter  we  do  not 
know,  for  the  record  is  silent.  The  cases  were  now  at  issue, 
but  for  some  reason,  which  even  Mr.  Herndon  did  not 
know,  the  term  of  court  was  suffered  to  adjourn  without 
conclusive  action.  The  next  term  found  the  combatants 
still  apart  and  seemingly  reluctant  to  measure  arms.  But 
meanwhile  the  peacemaker  had  not  been  idle,  for  March  17, 
1837,  the  parties  by  their  counsel  came  into  court  with  a  re- 
port of  the  settlement  of  all  pending  litigation  and  asked 


138  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

that  the  case  be  dismissed.  The  record  shows  that  this  was 
promptly  done.  In  the  assumpsit  case  judgment  by  agree- 
ment was  entered  against  the  plain  tiff  for  costs;  in  the  re- 
plevin case  against  the  defendant;  and  in  the  trespass  case 
that  item  was  equally  divided  between  the  two.  The  judge 
duly  signed  the  record,  the  parties  in  all  probability  with- 
drew from  the  old  court-house  in  Hoffman's  Row,  and  thus 
ended  Abraham  Lincoln's  first  lawsuit. 

The  first  case  in  the  Supreme  Court  of  Illinois  in  which 
Lincoln  appeared  was  that  of  Scammon  vs.  Cline,  re- 
ported in  3rd  Ills.  p.  456.  It  was  an  action  relating  to  the 
conflict  of  jurisdiction  between  two  counties  in  the  State, 
Boone  and  Jo  Daviess.  Mr.  Scammon,  the  plaintiff  in 
error,  was  himself  a  lawyer  of  more  or  less  prominence  in 
Chicago.  Mr.  Lincoln  appeared  for  the  other  side,  but  his 
plea,  a  denial,  was  in  the  handwriting  of  his  friend  James 
H.  Matheney.  The  case  was  begun  during  the  April,  1839, 
term  of  the  Boone  Circuit  Court.  The  opinion  of  the  Su- 
preme Court  reversing  the  judgment  of  the  lower  court 
was  rendered  February  24,  1841. 

The  last  public  appearance  of  Lincoln  in  the  trial  of  a 
cause  was  in  the  United  States  District  Court  in  Spring- 
field June  20,  1860.  This  was  in  the  month  following  his 
nomination  at  Chicago,  after  which  event  we  may  well 
conclude  that  he  was  so  deeply  absorbed  in  the  race  for 
President  he  could  ill  afford  to  give  any  time  to  the  practice 
of  law.  The  action,  entitled  Dawson  vs.  Ennis,  included  a 
demand  of  ten  thousand  dollars  damages  for  the  sale,  in 
Morgan  County,  Illinois,  in  violation  of  an  agreement  to 
the  contrary,  of  an  improved  double  plow  on  which  a  pat- 
ent right  had  been  obtained.  The  declaration  was  written 


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PAPERS  IN  LINCOLN'S  FIRST  CASE,  HAWTHORN  w.  WOOLDRIDGE 


HIS  THREE  PARTNERSHIPS  139 

and  signed  by  Mr.  Lincoln,  who  appeared  for  the  plaintiff 
along  with  John  A.  McClernand  and  Isaac  J.  Ketcham,  of 
Jacksonville.  John  M.  Palmer  represented  the  defense. 
On  June  20,  1860,  as  noted,  Lincoln  argued  the  cause  of 
the  plaintiff,  whereupon  the  court  took  the  case  under  ad- 
visement. The  record  shows  no  further  action  till  March  9, 
1861,  when  a  finding  was  made  for  the  defendant  and 
judgment  entered  against  Lincoln's  client  for  costs.  It 
will  thus  be  seen  that,  when  we  view  Lincoln's  legal  career 
as  a  whole,  we  can  hardly  resist  the  conclusion  that  he  was 
practically  unsuccessful  both  in  his  first  and  last  suit. 

A  word  as  to  Lincoln's  law  partnerships,  of  which  there 
were  three.  The  first,  with  John  T.  Stuart,  began  April  27,, 
1837,  and  continued  till  April  14,  1841.  It  was  promptly 
followed  by  the  second  with  Stephen  T.  Logan,  which  ter- 
minated September  20,  1843.  Immediately  thereafter  Lin- 
coln was  joined  by  William  H.  Herndon,  and  that  partner- 
ship continued  till,  in  the  language  of  Herndon,  it  was  "dis- 
solved by  the  bullet  of  John  Wilkes  Booth  in  April,  1865." 

As  indicative  of  his  regard  for  his  law  partners  it  may  be 
said  that  in  the  spring  of  the  year  following  his  inaugura- 
tion as  President,  he  directed  the  Secretary  of  War  to  ap- 
point Judge  Logan  one  of  three  commissioners  authorized 
to  investigate  and  audit  all  unsettled  claims  against  the 
War  Department  at  Cairo,  Illinois.  The  other  members 
of  the  commission  were  George  S.  Boutwell,  of  Massachu- 
setts, and  Charles  A.  Dana,  of  New  York.  Mr.  Dana  re- 
lated that  after  the  commission  had  been  at  its  labors  two 
days  Judge  Logan  was  compelled  by  illness  to  resign.  The 
next  year  Lincoln  tendered  Herndon  a  similar  appoint- 
ment, describing  it  in  his  telegram  as  "a  job  at  St.  Louis 


1 4o  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

at  $5  a  day  and  mileage,"  but  which  Herndon  delicned. 
So  far  as  known  Lincoln  made  no  offer  to  Stuart,  due  prob- 
ably to  the  fact  that  the  latter  was  elected  to  Congress  in 
1862  and  therefore  disqualified  from  holding  any  other 
office. 

We  have  the  warrant  of  Herndon  for  the  statement 
that  Lincoln  was  one  of  the  clearest  and  most  unerring 
thinkers  the  bar  of  Illinois  ever  produced.  Of  course,  his 
integrity,  his  humanity,  his  kindness  have  not  been  over- 
looked; in  fact,  have  in  some  instances  been  overplayed;  but 
too  much  cannot  be  said  of  his  wonderful  intellect  and  pro- 
found ability  in  the  realm  of  reason.  Of  this  pronounced 
and  marvelous  equipment  Lincoln  was  duly  aware;  more 
than  that,  it  can  be  truthfully  said,  he  was  not  only  con- 
scious but  in  reality  more  or  less  vain  of  it.  It  will  be 
remembered  that  during  a  ride  with  Herndon  to  Peters- 
burg Lincoln,  after  relating  to  his  partner  the  history 
of  his  mother's  origin  and  descent,  alluded  to  his  unusual 
analytical  and  reasoning  powers,  that  which  distinguished 
him  from  so  many  other  men,  frankly  contending  that  he 
inherited  it  from  his  mother.  According  to  the  testimony  of 
Herndon,  Lincoln  did  not  say  this  boastfully,  but  because 
both  he  and  Herndon  knew  that  his  strength  in  this  re- 
gard was  conceded  to  him  by  practically  every  other  mem- 
ber of  the  bar.  All  of  which  emphasizes  the  axiom  enun- 
ciated by  John  Hay  that  no  really  great  man  was  ever 
modest. 

Although  a  good  lawyer  it  is  doubtful  if  Lincoln  held 
the  law  in  any  higher  esteem  than  his  colleagues;  in  fact, 
it  looked,  sometimes,  as  if  he  lost  sight  of  its  standing  or 
value  as  a  profession  and  viewed  it  rather  as  a  voca- 


SCOPE  AND  EXTENT  OF  HIS  PRACTICE    141 

tion  —  simply  as  a  means  of  gaining  a  livelihood.  Judges 
Logan  and  Davis  were  more  deeply  absorbed  in  it  as  a 
profession,  but  it  was  only  that  it  might  yield  them 
greater  financial  returns,  because  both  of  them  were 
careful  and  ambitious  men,  both  accumulating  comfort- 
able fortunes.  On  the  other  hand,  with  a  strong  and 
ineradicable  bent  in  the  direction  of  politics,  Lincoln 
seemed  to  care  less  for  the  material  end  of  things.  Be- 
fore me  lies  one  of  Lincoln's  account  books,  a  glance 
over  which  will  indicate  the  scope  and  extent  of  his  prac- 
tice. On  the  first  page  it  is  marked,  "Day  Book  of  Lin- 
coln &  Herndon";  and  in  another  place,  "Lincoln  &  Hern- 
don's  Fee  Book."  The  entries  are  mostly  in  Lincoln's 
hand.  It  comprises  the  record  of  a  hundred  and  eighty- two 
cases.  In  one  of  them  the  fee  charged  is  only  $2.50;  in 
two  it  is  $3;  in  sixty- four,  $5;  in  five,  $7;  in  sixty- three, 
$10;  in  five,  $50;  in  one,  $100,  and  in  the  remainder  from 
$15  to  $25.  The  total  is  slightly  in  excess  of  $2000  repre- 
senting over  three  years'  business.  The  book  illustrates 
the  crude  and  primitive  way  in  which  Lincoln  and  his  part- 
ner kept  trace  of  their  business.  Here  is  one  entry: 

Scott  vs.  Busher  (for  Deft.) 

To  attending  case  in  Menard  Cir.  Court  if  it  ends  where  it  is. 
Paid.  $10.00 

Here  is  another  —  tried  before  a  justice  of  the  peace: 

Negro  vs.  Robert  Smith  (for  Deft) 
To  attending  case  of  Negro  Bob.    J.P.  $5.00 

This  is  how  they  kept  the  record  of  their  partnership  ac- 
counts: 

Stevenson  &  Wardwell  vs.  Garrett  (for  Defts) 
To  attending  case  in  Sup.  Court  Dec.  Term  1846  $10.00 


i4a  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

Roswell  Munsill  vs.  Temple  (for  Plff  in  Error) 
To  attending  case  in  Sup.  Court, 
By  note  $10.00.  Note  mislaid  and  cannot  be  found. 
Later  —  paid  cash  in  full  of  note 

Mrs.  Little  vs.  Little's  Estate  (for  Deft) 

To  attending  to  case  before  J.  Probate  $10.00 

(Dan  &  Sam  Little  bound  for  this) 

Across  the  lines  of  this  entry  are  written  "Incorrect,"  and 
again  "Not  Right." 

G.  B.  Merryman  vs.  Lake  (for  PlfF) 

To  attending  to  case  —  Cir.  Court  $10.00 

(H  g°es  to  Logan) 

A  few  items  from  the  account  or  fee  book  kept  by  the 
firm  of  Stuart  &  Lincoln,  a  portion  of  which  I  was  enabled 
to  secure  in  Springfield  many  years  ago,  may  not  be  without 
interest.  The  entries  are  all  in  Lincoln's  hand  and  relate 
to  cases  in  which  both  he  and  Stuart  were  interested  and 
within  a  year  or  more  after  their  partnership  was  formed. 
A  glance  at  the  fees  set  down  opposite  each  case  will  serve 
to  indicate  how  lucrative  the  practice  of  the  newly  estab- 
lished firm  was.  In  the  absence  of  evidence  to  the  con- 
trary, it  is  fair  to  assume  there  was  an  equal  division  of  the 
proceeds.  Following  is  copied  from  one  page  of  the  book: 

E.  C.  Ross 

To  Stuart  &  Lincoln  Dr. 

1837  —  April  —  To  attendance  at  trial  of  right  of  J.  F.  Davis 

property  before  Moffett  $5-00 

Mather  Lamb  &  Co. 

To  Stuart  &  Lincoln  Dr. 

1837  —  April  —  To  attendance  at  trial  of  J.  F.  Davis  prop- 

.     erty  before  Moffett  $'$.oo 

Lucinda  Mason 

To  Stuart  &  Lincoln  Dr. 

1 837  —  Oct  —  To  obtaining  assignment  of  Dower 


'  ' 


Or/0 


^^r-i  -L*«v^i^r 


ITEMS  FROM  STUART  AND  LINCOLN'S   FEE  BOOK 


SIZE  OF  HIS  FEES  143 

Wiley  &  Wood 

To  Stuart  &  Lincoln  Dr. 

1  837-8  To  defence  of  Chancery  case  of  Ely  $50.00 

Credit  by  coat  to  Stuart  15.00 


Peyton  L.  Harrison 

To  Stuart  &  Lincoln  Dr. 

1838  —  March  — 

To  case  with  Dickinson  $10.00 

Allen  &  Stone 

To  Stuart  &  Lincoln  Dr. 

1838  —  Oct 

To  case  with  Centre  $2.50 

A  word  as  to  the  size  of  the  fees  Lincoln  was  in  the 
habit  of  charging  his  clients.  In  this  respect  he  was  exas- 
peratingly  modest.  His  associates  at  the  bar,  including 
Judge  Davis,  were  out  of  patience  with  him.  "Think," 
exclaimed  one  of  them  whom  I  knew  in  Springfield  in  the 
early  eighties,  "of  a  lawyer  carrying  a  case  through  the 
Supreme  Court  for  the  paltry  sum  of  ten  dollars,  and  yet 
that  seemed  to  be  the  limit  of  his  charges."  The  following 
letter  serves  to  indicate  Mr.  Lincoln's  estimate  of  the 
value  of  a  professional  man's  services: 

SPRINGFIELD  ILLS,  Feb'y  21,  1856 
MR.  GEORGE  P.  FLOYD, 

Quincy  Ills. 
DEAR  SIR: 

I  have  just  received  yours  of  the  i6th  with  check  on  Flagg  & 
Savage  for  twenty-five  dollars.  You  must  think  I  am  a  high- 
priced  man.  You  are  too  liberal  with  your  money.  Fifteen  dol- 
lars is  enough  for  the  job.  I  send  you  a  receipt  for  fifteen  dollars 
and  return  you  a  ten-dollar  bill. 

Yours  truly 

A.  LINCOLN 


144  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

The  current  impression  that  Lincoln  chose  Herndon 
as  his  law  partner,  because  he  could  draw  up  the  required 
papers  and  thus  divide  the  office  work,  is  a  great  popular 
misconception.  Lincoln  was  not  only  the  better  office  man 
of  the  two,  but  when  at  home  really  performed  a  large  part 
of  the  clerical  and  office  work.  When  it  came  to  drawing 
up  a  paper,  either  a  document  to  be  used  in  court  or  to  file 
away  for  preservation,  Lincoln  had  no  superior.  He  was 
careful  to  the  point  of  punctiliousness.  And  this  is  all  the 
more  remarkable  when  we  reflect  that  many  of  his  col- 
leagues were  trained,  college-bred  men;  whereas  his  entire 
attendance  at  school  did  not  exceed  eleven  months;  and 
he  not  only  had  never  been  permitted  to  enter  college,  but 
had  never  seen  the  inside  of  a  college,  academy,  or  high- 
school  building  till  after  he  was  old  enough  to  go  to  Con- 
gress or  practice  law. 

He  rarely  ever  used  a  lead-pencil,  preferring  pen  and 
ink.  His  penmanship  as  compared  to  Herndon's  and  the 
average  lawyer  of  his  day  was  small,  uniform,  and  always 
legible.  Herndon  literally  slung  his  ink  over  the  page; 
Stuart's  writing  was  both  cramped  and  uneven;  Davis's 
loose  and  irregular;  and  Judge  Treat's  so  stilted  and  an- 
gular it  was  difficult  to  read.  But  it  was  not  alone  in 
penmanship  that  Lincoln  excelled;  he  almost  invariably 
spelled  correctly.  He  sometimes  spelled  wagon  with  two 
£*s  (and  by  some  it  has  even  been  held  that  that  is  not  al- 
ways incorrect),  but  unlike  many  of  his  colleagues  he  rarely 
ever  spelled  judgment  with  two  e's.  In  the  matter  of  punc- 
tuation he  was  likewise  painstaking  and  correct.  He  never 
omitted  a  comma,  and  he  used  the  semicolon  with  dis- 
crimination and  taste.  He  had  one  peculiarity;  frequently 


CARE  IN  PREPARATION  OF  PAPERS      145 

at  the  end  of  a  sentence  or  paragraph  using  a  short  dash 
to  indicate  a  full  stop  instead  of  the  conventional  period. 
To  the  writer,  who  has  examined  the  court  records  of  the 
various  counties  in  Illinois  in  which  Lincoln  practiced 
law,  and  who  has  read  so  many  pages  of  his  manuscript 
as  well  as  the  thousands  of  pages  written  by  his  col- 
leagues, a  majority  of  whom  paid  no  attention  to  punctu- 
ation, the  matter  of  his  accuracy  and  conformity  to  the 
rules  of  grammar  becomes  all  the  more  wonderful  and  im- 
pressive. If  so  many  of  his  associates  at  the  bar  who  had 
enjoyed  the  benefits  of  college  training  displayed  such  in- 
different scholarship  and  lack  of  skill,  the  question  arises: 
Where  did  Lincoln  acquire  his  genius  and  sagacity? 

Of  the  one  hundred  and  seventy-six  cases  which  Mr. 
Lincoln  either  individually  or  in  association  with  his  part- 
ners carried  through  the  Supreme  Court  of  Illinois,  he  won 
ninety- two;  of  the  twelve  cases  tried  in  the  United  States 
District  and  Circuit  Courts  (of  which,  however,  only  ten 
were  decided),  he  appears  to  have  won  seven;  and  of  the 
three  cases  in  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States,  he 
was  successful  in  two.  It  would  be  difficult,  if  not  well-nigh 
impossible,  at  this  late  day  to  fix  accurately  the  limits  of 
his  practice  in  the  lower  or  courts  of  original  jurisdiction  in 
Illinois.  The  famous  Eighth  Circuit  over  which  he  traveled 
so  long  consisted  in  1853  of  eight  counties:  Sangamon,  Lo- 
gan, McLean,  Woodford,  Tazewell,  DeWitt,  Champaign, 
and  Vermilion.  In  1857  Sangamon,  Woodford,  and  Taze- 
well were  transferred  to  another  circuit.  The  zenith  of  his 
practice  was  during  the  partnership  with  Herndon  and  be- 
tween the  years  1852  and  1858.  After  that  the  siren  voice 
of  politics  began  to  lure  him  away  from  the  profession. 


146  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

In  order  to  illustrate  the  character  and  scope  of  his  prac- 
tice and  thus  determine  the  kind  of  lawyer  he  was,  a  brief 
retrospect  of  some  of  the  most  notable  cases  in  which  he 
appeared  is  essential. 

Bailey  vs.  Cromwell,  an  action  appealed  from  Tazewell 
County,  reached  the  Supreme  Court  of  Illinois  in  Decem- 
ber, 1839,  two  Years  after  his  admission  to  the  bar.  Mr. 
Lincoln  represented  the  appellant  and  Stephen  T.  Logan 
the  other  side.  Of  his  conduct  of  this  case  Mr.  Lincoln  was 
more  or  less  proud,  and  the  case  itself  has  been  generously 
and  frequently  cited  in  the  appellate  courts  of  other  States. 
It  was  in  the  presentation  of  this  cause  that  Mr.  Lincoln 
maintained  that  it  was  a  presumption  of  law  in  the  State 
of  Illinois  that  every  person  is  free  without  regard  to  color; 
that  where  the  consideration  of  a  promissory  note  was 
shown  to  have  been  a  negro  girl,  and  that,  at  the  time  of 
the  sale,  it  was  agreed  between  the  parties  that  before  the 
payment  of  the  note  should  be  demanded  the  payee  should 
produce  the  necessary  papers  and  indenture  to  prove  that 
the  girl  was  a  slave  or  bound  to  service  under  the  laws  of 
the  State  of  Illinois,  and  such  papers  were  not  produced, 
though  demanded,  there  was  no  consideration  for  the  note, 
and  that  it  was  therefore  void,  as  the  sale  of  a  free  person 
was  an  illegal  transaction. 

The  case  of  Carman  vs.  Glasscock,  another  one  of  Lin- 
coln's early  ventures,  was  tried  in  the  Circuit  Court  of 
Sangamon  County,  also  in  1839.  I*  related  to  a  contro- 
versy over  a  fish-trap  dam  erected  across  the  Sangamon 
River;  and  incidentally  the  question  of  the  navigability  of 
the  latter  stream.  The  brief  of  Lincoln's  argument  was 
more  or  less  suggestive  of  the  flatboat  ride  on  the  bosom 


H  *  13 

^Af%1? 

^UrfeVi 

C«\*ts..     *^LCkT*ia    W  Os     ^ 


CARMAN  VS.  GLASSCOCK  147 

of  the  river  which  he  and  John  Hanks  took  when  they 
floated  down  to  New  Orleans  in  1831.  The  original,  which 
is  in  Lincoln's  hand  and  is  still  preserved,  reads  as  follows: 

ist     Prove  that  River  is  declared  navigable  — 

2nd.  That  defendants  obstructed  it  in  Sangamon  county  and 

between  mouth  &  meridian  line  — 
3rd.  That  plaintiffs  had  a  boat  load  of  corn  on  the  river 

above  the  dam;  that  said  boat  ran  on  the  dam, 

1  Sprang  leak  —  corn  wet  thereby  —  am't  of  damages 

2  Could  n't  get  off  without  unloading  — 

3  Water  falling  &  boat  would  break  if  not  got  off  — 

4  Did  unload  —  corn  got  rained  on  &  amount  of  damage 
thereby  — 

Amount  of  labor  in  unloading  &  reloading  and  the 
value  of  it. 


CHAPTER  XII 

Green  vs.  Green,  Lincoln's  first  divorce  case — His  dislike  for  divorce  suits  — 
His  magnanimity  in  the  trial  of  Samuel  Rogers  vs.  Polly  Rogers  —  His  comment 
on  the  Miller  os.  Miller  petition  —  A  pitiful  story  of  marital  discord  —  A  slow 
collector  —  Rarely  enforced  collection  of  fees  by  suit  —  When  in  partnership 
with  Logan  brought  one  suit  for  fee  —  Retained  by  Illinois  Central  Railroad 
to  enjoin  McLean  County  from  assessing  road  for  taxation  —  Lincoln's  letter 
to  Brayman  —  Gains  case  in  Supreme  Court  —  Lincoln  sues  railroad  company 
for  his  fee  —  History  of  transaction  —  Dividing  fee  with  Herndon  —  One  of 
Lincoln's  first  suits  for  personal  injury  —  The  Horological  Cradle  ease  —  The 
slander  suit  of  McKibben  os.  Hart  —  Turning  the  fee  over  to  his  father  —  The 
Spink  vs.  Chiniquiy  case  settled  by  Lincoln  —  The  Dungey  vs.  Spencer  case 
as  recalled  by  Lawrence  Weldon  —  Fixing  Lincoln's  fee  —  Under  vs.  Fleenor 
—  How  Lincoln  proved  the  marriage  —  Dorman  vs.  Lane  —  Proposal  by  Lincoln 
to  his  associates  that  they  join  him  and  donate  fees  as  a  wedding  present. 

ACCORDING  to  Herndon  there  was  one  kind  of  practice 
to  which  Mr.  Lincoln  as  a  lawyer  was  not  favorably  in- 
clined, and  that  was  suits  for  divorce;  in  fact,  whenever 
practicable,  he  tried  to  discourage  that  sort  of  ligitation. 
Of  course  he  sometimes  appeared  in  divorce  proceedings, 
but  it  was  always  with  more  or  less  reluctance.  The  first 
action  brought  by  him  to  dissolve  the  "marriage  bond," 
as  he  termed  it,  was  that  of  Nancy  Green  vs.  Aaron  Green 
filed  in  the  Sangamon  Circuit  Court  September  4,  1837. 
Lincoln  represented  the  wife,  and  succeeded  in  securing 
the  divorce  on  the  ground  of  desertion  or  abandonment 
for  a  given  period.  A  year  later,  in  the  same  court,  he 
appeared  in  another  case,  that  of  Samuel  Rogers  vs.  Polly 
Rogers,  but  this  time  in  behalf  of  the  husband.  An  affi- 
davit executed  by  Lincoln  in  connection  with  the  case  in- 
dicates to  what  extent  he  could  be  chivalrous  or  forbear- 
ing when  his  professional  duty  required  him  to  espouse  the 
cause  of  a  man  in  a  contest  with  his  wife.  Following  is  a 


HIS  DIVORCE  CASES  149 

copy  of  the  original  document  which  has  been  preserved: 

State  of  Illinois 
Sangamon  County 

A.  Lincoln  being  first  duly  sworn  says  that  he  was  employed 
as  counsel  in  the  case  of  Samuel  Rogers  vs.  Polly  Rogers  for  a 
Divorce;  that  he,  the  affiant,  drew  up  the  complainant's  bill; 
that  said  complainant  at  that  time  told  this  affiant  that  he  could 
prove  that  the  said  defendant  had  been  guilty  of  adultery  with 
one  William  Short  while  she  lived  with  said  complainant;  but 
that  affiant  advised  said  complainant  not  to  make  the  charge  in 
his  bill  as  there  was  other  sufficient  grounds  upon  which  to  ob- 
tain a  divorce,  to-wit,  absence  of  more  than  two  years. 

A.  LINCOLN 

Sworn  to  and  subscribed  before  me  this  2oth  day  of  October 
1838 

WM.  BUTLER  CLERK 

There  is  also  in  existence  an  affidavit  by  Samuel  Rogers, 
the  complainant,  in  which  he  recites  that  the  charge  of 
adultery  was  omitted  from  his  bill  at  the  instigation  of  his 
counsel,  Mr.  Lincoln,  who  opposed  the  allegation  "for  no 
other  cause  than  through  tenderness  to  defendant's  char- 
acter." One  can  hardly  read  Lincoln's  affidavit  in  this 
case  without  wondering  how  many  lawyers  of  this  day  and 
generation  would,  under  like  circumstances,  be  equally  con- 
siderate and  magnanimous. 

While  on  the  subject  of  divorce  suits  I  can  hardly  re- 
frain from  adverting  to  one  that  deeply  impressed  and 
awakened  Lincoln's  sympathetic  interest.  It  was  brought 
by  him  during  the  partnership  with  Judge  Logan,  en  tided 
George  Miller  vs.  Elizabeth  Miller,  and  was  tried  in  Me- 
nard  County.  When  one  has  read  the  lament  of  the  luck- 
less  and  discouraged  husband  he  can  doubtless  account 
for  Lincoln's  sympathy,  and  appreciate  the  significance 


150  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

of  the  brief  memorandum  penned  on  the  back  of  one  of 
the  pleadings  prepared  by  him  for  his  use  in  the  suit:  "A 
pitiful  story  of  marital  discord."  In  his  petition,  written 
by  Lincoln,  the  husband  recites  that  he  and  Elizabeth 
Miller  were  married  in  Bath  County,  Kentucky,  in  1829; 
that 

after  said  marriage  they  continued  to  live  together  as  man  and 
wife,  he  doing  and  performing  all  the  duties  of  an  affectionate 
husband  for  two  or  three  years  when  unhappy  differences  arose 
and  without  the  fault  of  your  orator  she,  the  defendant,  left  the 
bed  and  board  of  your  orator  and  went  to  her  relatives;  a  short 
time  passed  and  a  reconciliation  which  your  orator  fondly  but 
vainly  hoped  would  be  permanent  took  place  between  the  de- 
fendant and  him  and  she  returned  to  his  house;  but  in  a  short 
time  she  left  again  and  after  that  frequent  temporary  recon- 
ciliations and  separations  occurred  between  them  extending  in 
time  to  the  year  1834  when  it  was  agreed  between  them  that 
they  would  remove  separately  to  Illinois,  there  meet,  be  finally 
reconciled  and  live  together  as  man  and  wife;  that  they  did  so 
remove  to  Sangamon  county,  Illinois,  where  they  soon  met  and, 
being  encouraged  by  the  defendant,  your  orator  set  about 
making  preparation  to  live  with  her  by  procuring  a  house  etc. 
when  in  a  short  time,  without  the  fault  of  your  orator,  difficul- 
ties again  arose  extending  in  time  up  to  the  year  1 836  when  she, 
the  defendant,  announced  to  your  orator  her  determination 
never  to  live  with  him  again.  Thus  matters  passed  till  the  year 
1841  when  the  defendant  and  your  orator  again  met  in  Ken- 
tucky  and  at  her  instance  agreed  that  on  their  return  to  Illinois 
they  would  meet  and  live  in  peace.  Your  orator  further  charges 
that  he  did  in  good  faith  endeavor  to  put  said  last  named  agree- 
ment into  execution,  but  that  on  meeting  the  defendant  in 
Menard  county,  Illinois,  where  she  now  resides  and  has  resided 
since  the  formation  of  the  county  in  the  fall  of  1841,  she  again 
announced  to  your  orator  her  determination  never  to  live  with 
him  again,  since  which  time  your  orator  has  abandoned  all  hope 
of  a  reconciliation.  And  so  your  orator  charges  that  the  said 
defendant  has  wilfully  deserted  and  absented  herself  from  him 


A  SLOW  COLLECTOR  151 

without  any  reasonable  cause  for  more  than  two  years.  In 
tender  consideration  of  all  which  your  orator  prays  that  on  a 
final  hearing  of  this  cause  your  Honor  will  decree  that  the  bonds 
of  matrimony  heretofore  and  now  existing  between  said  defend- 
ant and  your  orator  be  forever  dissolved;  and  that  your  Honor 
will  grant  such  other  and  further  relief  as  equity  may  require. 

Mr.  Herndon  is  also  authority  for  the  statement  that 
Lincoln  was  a  poor  collector.  He  disliked  to  attempt  to 
collect  his  fee  by  suit;  but  there  is  abundant  evidence  that 
his  partners  were  not  quite  so  indulgent.  In  July,  1 845,  he 
filed  a  suit  in  the  Sangamon  Circuit  Court  against  James 
D.  Smith,  executor  of  the  last  will  and  testament  of  Wil- 
liam Trailer,  deceased,  in  which  a  demand  is  made  for  the 
payment  of  one  hundred  dollars,  being  a  fee  due  "For  de- 
fending said  Trailer  against  a  charge  of  murdering  one 
Fisher."  The  action  was  brought  in  the  name  of  Logan  & 
Lincoln  and  the  declaration  or  complaint  is  in  the  hand- 
writing of  the  latter.  Another1  suit  of  like  nature,  a  relic 
of  the  partnership  with  Herndon,  was  brought  in  the  same 
court  five  years  later.  The  defendant  was  John  B.  Moffett 
and  the  declaration  was  written  by  Lincoln,  who  de- 
scribes the  plaintiffs  as  "Abraham  Lincoln  and  William  H. 
Herndon  doing  business  in  the  name  of  .Lincoln  &  Hern- 
don." The  demand  is  based  oh  an  account  containing  two 
items;  one,  a  fee  of  one  hundred  dollars  for  bringing  a  suit 
in  the  Sangamon  Circuit  Court  and  fifty  dollars  for  carry- 
ing it  through  the  Supreme  Court;  but  the  record  shows 
that  the  plaintiffs  recovered  judgment  for  only  seventy- 
five  dollars  and  costs. 

A  third  suit,  brought  by  Lincoln  for  an  attorney  fee, 
and  the  most  noteworthy  in  his  career,  will  require  more 
extended  mention.  In  the  summer  of  1853  the  authorities 


152  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

of  McLean  County,  Illinois,  believing  that  all  the  land  in 
that  county  should  pay  its  proportionate  share  of  taxes, 
decided  to  place  on  the  assessment  rolls  all  the  property 
in  that  county  belonging  to  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad 
Company.  This  was  done  in  the  face  of  the  fact  that,  by 
the  action  of  the  Illinois  legislature,  that  corporation  had 
been  granted  exemption  from  taxation  conditioned  that  it 
should  pay  seven  per  cent  of  its  gross  earnings  into  the  State 
treasury.  The  railroad  company  at  once  brought  suit  to 
enjoin  the  county  from  collecting  the  tax  and  to  that  end 
sought  to  retain  the  services  of  Lincoln  in  their  behalf, 
as  the  following  letter  will  show: 

PEKIN,  ILLS.  Oct.  3,  1853 
M.  BRAYMAN  ESQ.. 
DEAR  SIR: 

Neither  the  county  of  McLean  nor  any  one  else  on  its  behalf 
has  yet  made  any  engagement  with  me  in  relation  to  its  suit  with 
the  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  on  the  subject  of  taxation  —  I  am 
now  free  to  make  any  engagement  for  the  Road;  and  if  you 
think  fit  you  may  "count  me  in."  Please  write  me  on  receipt 
of  this  —  I  shall  be  here  at  least  ten  days. 

Yours  truly 

A.  LINCOLN 

Lincoln  was  duly  employed  and  four  days  after  the 
above  letter  was  written,  Mr.  Brayman,  who  was  of  coun- 
sel for  the  railroad  company,  sent  to  Lincoln,  through 
the  Marine  Bank  of  Springfield,  a  retainer  fee  of  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  dollars.  In  the  lower  court  the  case  went 
against  the  railroad  company  and  an  appeal  was  promptly 
taken  to  the  Supreme  Court  at  Springfield.  "At  the  hear- 
ing in  the  Supreme  Court,"  relates  Mr.  James  F.  Joy,  who 
was  the  general  solicitor  for  the  railroad, "  both  Lincoln  and 


THE  ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  CASE  153 

myself  argued  the  case  for  the  appellants,  he  being  the 
junior  and  I  the  senior  counsel.  John  T.  Stuart  and  Ste- 
phen T.  Logan,  both  former  partners  of  Lincoln,  repre- 
sented the  appellee.  The  case  was  long  under  advisement, 
and  later  the  court  complied  with  my  request  and  gave  us 
a  rehearing.  Mr.  Lincoln  and  I  did  the  best  we  could  in 
the  reargument  with  the  result  that  the  case  was  decided 
in  our  favor." 

Later  when  it  came  to  settling  the  question  of  attor- 
neys' fees,  Lincoln,  on  learning  that  the  railroad  company 
had  paid  Mr.  Joy  twelve  hundred  dollars,  wrote  the  latter 
that  for  his  services  he  would  like  to  have  the  company 
give  him  a  particular  section  of  land,  describing  it,  say- 
ing that  for  once  in  his  life  he  thought  he  was  entitled  to 
a  large  fee.  This  the  officers  of  the  road  declined  to  do, 
claiming  that  the  land  was  covered  by  a  mortgage  or  some 
other  encumbrance.  It  was  then  that  he  rendered  a  bill 
for  five  thousand  dollars,  less  the  retainer  fee  of  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  dollars  already  advanced,  which  the  company 
also  declined  to  pay.  "I  think  there  would  have  been  no 
difficulty  with  Mr.  Lincoln's  bill,"  related  Joy,  "  if  I  had 
charged  as,  perhaps,  I  ought  to  have  done,  five  thousand 
dollars.  The  time  for  such  fees  as  the  lawyers  now  ask  had 
not  arrived,  and  my  own  charge  for  the  arguments  in  the 
case  was  only  twelve  hundred  dollars.  I  think  now  my 
charge  was  a  small  one  for  the  service  rendered.  The  rail- 
road company,  after  declining  to  pay  Mr.  Lincoln  the 
five  thousand  dollars  he  demanded  because  they  thought 
the  fee  was  too  large,  then  made  him  this  proposition: 
'  Bring  suit  against  the  company  for  the  amount  demanded 
and  no  attempt  will  be  made  to  defend  against  it.  If  by 


154  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

the  testimony  of  other  lawyers  it  shall  appear  to  be  a  fair 
charge  and  there  shall  be  a  judgment  for  the  amount,  then 
we  shall  be  justified  in  paying  it.' ' 

In  compliance  with  the  recommendations  of  the  rail- 
road officials  Lincoln  brought  the  required  suit  for  his 
fee  in  the  Circuit  Court  of  McLean  County.  Several  years 
ago  I  read  the  declaration  in  his  own  handwriting.  It  was 
then  on  file  in  the  court-house  at  Bloomington.  Following 
is  a  copy  of  his  account  or  demand  as  made  out  and  pre- 
sented to  the  company  as  well  as  the  written  opinion  of  six 
of  his  fellow  lawyers  who  certified  to  the  reasonableness  of 
his  fee: 

The  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company 

To  A.  Lincoln  Dr. 

To  professional  services  in  the  case  of  the  Illinois  Central  Rail- 
road Company  against  the  County  of  McLean  argued  in  the 
Supreme  Court  of  Illinois  and  decided  at  the  December  Term 
1855  $5000 

We,  the  undersigned,  members  of  Illinois  Bar,  understanding 
that  the  above  entitled  cause  was  twice  argued  in  the  Supreme 
Court;  and  that  the  judgment  therein  decided  the  question  of 
the  claim  of  counties  and  other  minor  municipal  corporations  to 
tax  the  property  of  said  Railroad  Company  and  settle  said 
questions  against  said  claim  and  in  favor  of  said  Railroad  Com- 
pany are  of  opinion  that  the  sum  above  charged  as  a  fee  is  not 
unreasonable. 

GRANT  GOODRICH 
N.  B.  JUDD 
ARCHIBALD  WILLIAMS 
N.  H.  PURPLE 
O.  H.  BROWNING 
R.  S.  BLACKWELL 

.  Of  the  six  men  who  thus  approved  Lincoln's  claim,  one 
became  a  Congressman  and  later  an  ambassador  to  a 
European  court;  one  a  United  States  District  Judge  in  a 


LINCOLN  S  BILL  AGAINST  THE  ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD  COMPANY, 
WITH  COPY  OF  OPINION  SIGNED  BY  FELLOW  LAWYERS 


RECOVERING  FEE  FOR  RAILROAD  CASE    155 

Western  State;  another  a  United  States  Senator  and  also 
a  member  of  the  President's  Cabinet  at  Washington;  and 
the  remainder  were  three  of  the  ablest  and  most  successful 
lawyers  of  the  Illinois  bar.  When  the  case  was  called  in 
court  the  railroad  company  suffered  the  judgment  to  go  by 
default,  and  later,  within  the  period  fixed  by  law,  paid  to 
the  clerk  of  the  court  the  required  five  thousand  dollars 
less  the  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  already  advanced 
to  Lincoln  as  a  retainer.  Although  the  name  of  Herndon 
does  not  appear  in  the  record  of  the  case  as  of  counsel, 
it  does  not  follow  that  he  had  no  part  in  it  or  that  Lincoln 
was  disposed  to  overlook  him.  "The  judgment  was  finally 
paid,"  related  Herndon,  "  and  Lincoln  gave  me  my  half.  He 
brought  the  money  down  from  Bloomington  one  evening 
and  sent  me  word  to  come  to  the  office.  It  was  after  dark 
and  when  he  had  pushed  my  share  of  the  proceeds  across 
the  table  to  me,  he  covered  it  for  an  instant  with  his  hand, 
smiled,  and  said:  'Billy,  it  seems  to  me  it  will  be  bad  taste 
on  your  part  to  keep  on  saying  the  severe  things  I  have 
heard  from  you  about  railroads  and  other  corporations. 
The  truth  is,  instead  of  criticizing  them,  you  and  I  ought 
to  thank  God  for  letting  this  one  fall  into  our  hands.' " 

As  this  was  the  largest  attorney  fee  ever  received  by  Mr. 
Lincoln,  it  may  not  be  amiss  to  note  also  the  smallest  one; 
which  was  two  dollars  and  a  half  paid  to  him  for  his  serv- 
ices in  a  suit  in  the  fall  of  1838,  one  half  of  which  went  to 
his  partner,  John  T.  Stuart.  In  another  case  the  firm  of 
Stuart  &  Lincoln  made  a  charge  of  fifty  dollars,  but  their 
clients  were  either  reluctant  or  unable  to  pay  the  entire 
sum  in  cash;  for  the  record  of  the  transaction  in  the  book, 
entered  by  Lincoln,  shows  that  a  coat,  furnished  to  Stuart 


156  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

and  valued  at  fifteen  dollars,  was  accepted  as  a  partial 
payment. 

By  the  time  Mr.  Lincoln  was  nearing  the  end  of  his 
career  as  a  practicing  lawyer,  the  modern  damage  suit 
against  common  carriers  and  other  corporations,  especially 
where  based  on  personal  injury,  was  coming  into  vogue. 
Lincoln's  experience  in  that  line,  as  indicated  by  several 
cases  to  which  Herndon  called  my  attention,  was  neces- 
sarily limited.  One  of  the  earliest  was  an  action  brought 
by  him  during  the  partnership  with  Stuart  in  which  George 
Stockton  demands  of  James  Tolby  a  hundred  dollars  for 
damages  to  "a  cooking  stove"  in  transit  between  Beards- 
town  and  Springfield.  Tolby  drove  "a  conveyance  for 
hire"  between  the  points  named  and  was  therefore  liable 
as  a  common  carrier.  Another  case,  and  probably  the 
first  personal  injury  suit  he  ever  brought  against  a  common 
carrier,  was  that  of  Grubb  vs.  Fink  and  Walker  tried  in 
1852.  The  defendants  were  operating  a  stage-coach  be- 
tween Rushville  and  Frederick  which  overturned  one  day 
resulting  in  a  serious  injury  to  one  of  the  passengers.  In  his 
account  of  the  accident  Mr.  Lincoln  is  sufficiently  careful 
and  minute  in  his  averments.  After  describing  the  plain- 
tiff's long  list  of  "cuts,  bruises,  wounds,  and  divers  broken 
bones,"  he  recites  the  payment  by  him  of  large  sums  of 
money  paid  for  the  services  of  physicians  and  surgeons  in 
the  endeavor  to  be  cured  of  the  fractures,  bruises,  and  in- 
juries, and  concludes  with  a  demand  for  damages  of  one 
thousand  dollars.  Another  action,  that  of  Jasper  Harris 
OS*  Great  Western  Railway  Company,  was  tried  in  Sanga- 
mon  County  in  1854.  The  plaintiff  was  a  brakeman  whose 
"right  foot,  ankle,  leg,  and  thigh  while  in  the  service  of 


THE  HOROLOGICAL  CRADLE  CASE       157 

said  company,  were  so  greatly  torn,  crushed  and  broken 
that  amputation  of  his  said  right  limb  above  the  knee  was 
necessary."  It  was  Lincoln's  first  suit  against  a  railroad 
company  for  personal  injury  and  included  a  demand  for 
ten  thousand  dollars  in  damages.  The  declaration,  though 
signed  Lincoln  &  Herndon,  was  written  by  Lincoln,  and 
when  contrasted  with  the  phraseology  of  a  bill  of  complaint 
as  lawyers  now  word  such  things  is  about  as  crude  and 
primitive  as  the  machinery  and  appliances  of  that  early 
period  appear  when  compared  to  the  ponderous  and  elab- 
orate equipment  now  in  use  by  the  railroads  of  this  day. 

Perhaps  no  case  in  which  Lincoln  figured  awakened  his 
interest  more  readily  and  completely  than  an  action,  en- 
tided  Hildreth  vs.  Turner,  appealed  to  the  Supreme  Court 
of  Illinois  from  Logan  County  in  the  spring  of  1854.  It 
related  to  the  validity  of  a  patent,  but  involved  no  great 
legal  principle  and  was  otherwise  of  no  especial  significance 
save  as  Lincoln's  connection  therewith  gave  it  promi- 
nence. In  February,  1853,  one  Alexander  Edmonds,  a  me- 
chanical genius  in  the  town  of  Mount  Pulaski,  invented 
what  he  called  "The  Horological  Cradle,"  a  contriv- 
ance to  be  "rocked  by  machinery  with  a  weight  running 
on  one  or  more  pulleys;  the  cradle  constituting  the  pen- 
dulum and  which,  being  wound  up,  would  rock  itself, 
thus  saving  the  continual  labor  to  mother  and  nurses  of 
rocking  the  cradle."  The  brief  description  by  the  inven- 
tor suffices  to  indicate  the  objects  and  character  of  the 
proposed  apparatus,  but  notwithstanding  its  doubtful 
value  from  a  practical  standpoint  there  was  something 
about  it  that  attracted  the  interest  and  attention  of  Mr. 
Lincoln.  Eventually  a  disagreement  between  the  inventor 


158  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

of  the  machine  and  a  man  who  was  induced  to  advance  cap- 
ital for  its  manufacture  led  to  a  lawsuit  in  which  Lincoln  & 
Herndon  represented  one  side  of  the  controversy  when  it 
reached  the  Supreme  Court.  "Although  Lincoln  and  I  were 
duly  retained,"  related  Herndon,  "Mr.  Lincoln,  owing  to 
his  natural  bent  for  the  study  of  mechanical  appliances, 
soon  became  so  enamoured  of  the  case  that  he  assumed  en- 
tire charge  of  our  end  of  it.  The  model  of  the  machine  was 
for  a  time  exhibited  in  a  store  window  in  town  and  even- 
tually reached  our  office  where  Mr.  Lincoln  became  deeply 
absorbed  in  it.  He  would  dilate  at  great  length  on  its  mer- 
its for  the  benefit  of  our  callers  or  any  one  else  who  hap- 
pened into  the  office  and  manifested  the  least  interest  in  it. 
Although  the  papers  in  the  case  indicated  that  Lincoln  & 
Herndon  were  of  counsel,  I  recall  that  I  had  but  little  be- 
yond a  nominal  part  in  it.  All  the  papers  were  drawn  by 
Mr.  Lincoln  himself,  a  division  of  our  labors  to  which  I 
readily  consented  because,  in  view  of  my  apparent  lack 
of  faith  in  the  enterprise,  I  apprehend  he  suspected  I  was 
willing  that  he  should  assume  the  entire  responsibility  of 
winning  or  losing  the  suit." 

The  record  of  the  case  recites  that  the  inventor  pro- 
fessed to  have  obtained  a  "patent  for  said  invention  and 
had  been  exhibiting  a  model  of  the  same;  that  the  pat- 
ent right  would  be  valuable  and  could  be  sold  for  a  large 
amount  of  money,  etc.";  but  before  the  case  was  decided 
it  was  discovered  that  Edmonds  had  no  letters  patent  for 
the  cradle,  its  machinery  or  mode  of  operation,  but  only 
for  an  ornamental  design  for  a  "horological  cradle"  as  set 
out  in  the  specifications.  The  court  ruled  against  the  pat- 
entability of  the  contrivance,  holding  that  every  one  should 


THE  HOROLOGICAL  CRADLE  CASE       159 

be  presumed  to  know  that  a  baby  cradle  would  not  be  pat- 
en table  by  the  description  so  far  as  the  application  of  its 
use  is  concerned. 

While  the  case  was  under  consideration  by  the  Supreme 
Court,  the  model  was  brought  into  the  room  and  set  to  go- 
ing—  a  proceeding  in  which  Lincoln  was  plainly  interested 
as  shown  by  his  willingness  to  enlighten  the  judges,  some 
of  whom  ventured  to  make  inquiries  regarding  the  modus 
operandi.  Although  the  inventor  claimed  to  have  disposed 
of  his  rights  in  the  States  of  Mississippi,  Georgia,  Ala- 
bama, Florida,  and  South  Carolina  for  ten  thousand  dol- 
lars, he  made  no  mention  of  his  interest  in  Illinois,  Indiana, 
Missouri,  and  other  near-by  States,  probably  because  the 
people  in  those  localities,  like  Herndon,  had  seen  the  de- 
vice at  a  range  close  enough  to  make  them  more  or  less 
cautious  in  the  investment  of  their  surplus  capital. 

On  the  way  to  his  office  from  the  court-room  after  the 
case  was  over,  Lincoln  was  halted  by  an  old  friend  in 
the  person  of  John  W.  Bunn,  the  banker,  who  related  the 
incident  to  me  shortly  before  his  recent  death  in  Spring- 
field. "Mr.  Lincoln,"  said  Bunn,  "was  telling  me  about  the 
case  and  included  a  description  of  the  apparatus,  although 
I  had  seen  the  model  of  it  in  operation  in  a  store  window 
several  times.  After  agreeing  with  him  that  it  was  rather 
an  ingenious  piece  of  mechanism,  I  then  ventured  to  ask 
him  how  to  stop  the  thing  when  in  motion.  'There's  the 
rub,'  he  replied,  laughing,  'and  I  reckon  I'll  have  to  an- 
swer you  as  I  did  the  judge  who  asked  the  same  question. 
The  thing's  like  some  of  the  glib  and  interesting  talkers 
you  and  I  know,  John;  when  it  gets  to  going  it  doesn't 
know  when  to  stop.'" 


160  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

The  shrinkage  in  a  lawyer's  practice  in  Lincoln's  day 
attributable  to  the  lack  of  bodily  injury  suits  was  more 
than  counterbalanced  by  the  then  popular  slander  suit.  It 
was  a  most  abundant  source  of  litigation  and  hardly  a 
term  of  court  was  allowed  to  pass  without  one  or  more  ac- 
tions of  that  kind.  The  money  demand  for  damages  was 
invariably  large,  and  even  though  the  injured  party  some- 
times recovered  judgment  for  the  full  amount  demanded, 
he  frequently  waived  payment  of  all  but  a  nominal  sum. 
Of  these  primitive  and  sprightly  contests  Lincoln  had 
his  proportionate  share.  In  Coles  County,  Illinois,  in  the 
fall  of  1843,  in  conjunction  with  Usher  F.  Linder,  he  ap- 
peared for  the  plaintiff  in  the  slander  suit  of  Bagley  w.Van- 
meter.  Evidently  Lincoln's  prospects,  so  far  as  a  gen- 
erous fee  is  concerned,  were  not  very  encouraging,  for  a 
document  written  by  him  and  signed  by  his  client,  the 
plaintiff,  has  been  found  in  which  the  latter,  referring  to  the 
judgment  in  his  behalf  which  he  expects,  makes  the  fol- 
lowing pertinent  reservation  regarding  the  pay  due  his 
attorneys:  "I  assign  twenty  dollars  to  Usher  F.  Linder  and 
thirty  dollars  to  Logan  &  Lincoln  if  said  judgment  shall 
amount  to  so  much."  Unfortunately  for  all  concerned, 
when  the  records  were  all  made  and  the  money  paid  in,  the 
judgment  yielded  a  total  of  eighty  dollars.  In  the  case  of 
Thomas  McKibben,  who  brought  suit  against  Jonathan 
Hart  demanding  two  thousand  dollars  damages  because 
the  latter  had  called  him  a  horsethief,  Mr.  Lincoln  rep- 
resented the  plaintiff.  Trial  took  place  during  the  May 
term,  1845,  of  the  Circuit  Court  of  Coles  County,  Illi- 
nois. Mr.  Lincoln's  father,  Thomas  Lincoln,  lived  a  few 
miles  south  of  Charleston,  the  county  seat,  which  will 


SLANDER  SUITS  161 

doubtless  account  for  the  fact  that  the  latter's  son  figured 
so  frequently  in  the  litigation  of  that  locality.  In  the  case 
mentioned,  Lincoln  secured  for  his  client  a  judgment  for 
about  two  hundred  dollars,  of  which  thirty-five  dollars  was 
assigned  to  him  for  his  fee  and  which  he  deposited  with 
the  clerk  of  the  court  with  instructions  to  pay  the  same  to 
his  father.  In  due  time  Thomas  Lincoln  trudged  over  to 
Charleston,  where  the  money  which,  doubtless,  was  a  wel- 
come addition  to  the  old  gentleman's  meager  income,  was 
turned  over  to  him.  The  receipt,  drawn  up  by  the  clerk, 
was  duly  signed,  but  the  name,  Thomas  Lincoln,  was 
written  by  his  stepson,  John  D.  Johnston. 

One  of  the  most  noted  actions  for  slander  in  which  Mr. 
Lincoln  participated  was  that  of  Spink  w. Chiniquiy  be- 
gun in  Kankakee  County,  Illinois,  a  case  in  which  Charles 
Chiniquiy,  a  priest,  was  sued  for  having  falsely  charged 
that  Peter  Spink,  one  of  his  parishioners,  had  been  guilty 
of  perjury.  The  parties  and  most  of  the  witnesses  were 
French  Catholics.  Mr.  Lincoln  and  Leonard  Swett  rep- 
resented Father  Chiniquiy.  It  was  a  well-known  and 
warmly  contested  case.  "Father  Chiniquiy  was  plucky," 
related  Henry  C.  Whitney  who  was  present  and  remem- 
bered the  trial,  "and  plead  justification;  and  preparations 
were  made  for  a  'fight  to  the  finish,'  not  only  by  the  two 
principals,  but  by  the  two  respective  neighborhoods  in 
which  they  lived,  for  eventually  almost  everybody  be- 
came involved.  A  change  of  venue  brought  the  case  to 
Champaign  County,  and  when  the  term  came  on  the  prin- 
cipals, their  lawyers  and  witnesses  and  an  immense  ret- 
inue of  followers,  came  to  Urbana.  The  hotels  were  mo- 
nopolized and  a  large  number  camped  out.  After  a  tedious 


1 62  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

and  long-drawn-out  trial  the  jury  disagreed.  Next  term 
the  crowd  in  no  wise  diminished  returned,  camp  outfits, 
musicians,  parrots,  pet  dogs,  and  all.  The  prospect  was 
that  all  their  scandal  would  have  to  be  aired  again;  but  Mr. 
Lincoln,  who  abhorred  that  class  of  litigation,  in  which 
there  was  no  utility,  and  dreading  the  outlook,  set  to  work 
and  finally  effected  a  compromise." 

The  formal  decree  reciting  the  terms  of  the  settlement 
of  the  case  which  follows  was  prepared  by  Lincoln  and  is 
an  excellent  specimen  of  his  concise  and  orderly  presenta- 
tion of  a  legal  proposition: 

Peter  Spink 

vs. 
Charles  Chiniquiy. 

This  day  came  the  parties  and  the  defendant  denies  that  he 
has  ever  charged,  or  believed  the  plaintiff  to  be  guilty  of  Perjury; 
that  whatever  he  has  said  from  which  such  a  charge  could  be  in- 
ferred, he  said  on  the  information  of  others,  protesting  his  own 
disbelief  in  the  charge;  and  that  he  now  disclaims  any  belief  in 
the  truth  of  said  charge  against  said  plaintiff.  It  is  therefore,  by 
agreement  of  the  parties,  ordered  that  the  suit  be  dismissed, 
each  party  paying  his  own  cost  —  the  defendant  to  pay  his  part 
of  the  cost  heretofore  ordered  to  be  paid  by  said  plaintiff. 

Two  more  slander  suits,  in  which  Lincoln  had  a  part 
and  which  were  carefully  explained  to  me  by  Herndon,  I 
ought  not  to  omit.  One  was  the  case  of  Dungey  vs.  Spencer 
tried  at  the  town  of  Clinton,  in  Dewitt  County,  in  the  spring 
of  1855.  Lincoln  represented  Dungey,  the  plaintiff,  and 
Lawrence  Weldon,  afterwards  a  member  of  the  United 
States  Court  of  Claims,  the  defendant.  The  basis  of  the 
action,  as  set  out  in  the  declaration  in  Lincoln's  hand, 
and  for  which  several  thousand  dollars  in  damages  was 
asked,  was  the  charge  that  the  defendant  "  in  the  presence 


DUNGEY  VS.  SPENCER  163 

of  divers  good  citizens  falsely  and  maliciously  spoke  and 
uttered  of  and  concerning  the  plaintiff,  these  false  scandal- 
ous, malicious,  and  defamatory  words:  'Black  Bill  (mean- 
ing the  plaintiff)  is  a  negro  and  it  will  be  easily  proved 
if  called  for.'"  It  was  a  family  quarrel,  Dungey,  who  was 
a  Portuguese  and  somewhat  dark  com plexioned,*' having 
married  Spencer's  sister.  The  law  of  Illinois  made  it  a  crime 
for  a  negro  to  marry  a  white  woman,  and  hence  the  words 
were  slanderous.  It  is  unnecessary  to  dwell  on  the  details 
of  the  trial.  It  suffices  to  state  that  Lincoln  won,  re- 
covering for  his  client,  the  plaintiff,  a  judgment  for  six 
hundred  dollars,  of  which  amount  the  latter  on  the  advice 
of  his  counsel  remitted  four  hundred  dollars;  the  defendant 
meanwhile  assuming  payment  of  Lincoln's  fee  and  the 
costs  of  the  suit. 

"At  this  juncture,"  related  Mr.  Weldon  later  in  life,  "Mr. 
Lincoln  proposed  to  leave  the  question  of  the  amount  of  his 
fee  to  my  associates,  Mr.  C.  H.  Moore  and  myself.  We 
protested  against  this  and  insisted  that  he  should  fix  the 
amount  of  his  own  fee.  After  a  few  moments'  thought  he 
said:  'Well,  gentlemen,  don't  you  think  I  have  honestly 
earned  twenty-five  dollars  ? '  We  were  astonished,  and  had 
he  said  one  hundred  dollars  it  would  have  been  nearer 
what  we  expected.  The  judgment  was  a  large  one  for 
those  days:  he  had  attended  the  case  at  two  terms  of  court, 
had  been  engaged  for  two  days  in  a  hotly  contested  suit, 
and  his  client's  adversary  was  going  to  pay  the  bill.  The 
simplicity  of  his  character  in  money  matters  is  well  illus- 
trated by  the  fact  that  for  all  this  service  he  only  charged 
twenty-five  dollars." 

"In  his  argument  to  the  jury,"  continued  Weldon,  "Mr. 


164  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

Lincoln  was  both  entertaining  and  effective.  A  dramatic 
and  powerful  stroke  was  his  direct  reference  to  Spencer's 
accusation  that  Dungey  was  a  'nigger.'  It  had  a  curious 
touch  of  the  ludicrous  by  his  pronunciation  of  a  word  which, 
instead  of  detracting,  seemed  to  add  to  the  effect.  I  hear 
him  now  as  he  said:  'Gentlemen  of  the  jury,  ray  client  is 
not  a  Negro,  though  it  is  no  crime  to  be  a  Negro  —  no  crime 
to  be  born  with  a  black  skin.  But  my  client  is  not  a  Negro. 
His  skin  may  not  be  as  white  as  ours,  but  I  say  he  is  not 
a  Negro,  though  he  may  be  a  Moor.' "  The  humor  in  the 
situation  was  due  to  the  fact  that  the  lawyer  who  assisted 
Mr.  Weldon  on  the  other  side  of  the  case  was  Mr.  C.  H. 
Moore,  an  attorney  living  in  the  village  of  Clinton  where 
the  case  was  tried,  and  when  Mr.  Lincoln's  attention  was 
called  to  his  play  upon  words  by  Judge  Davis  he  smiled  and 
replied:  "Of  course,  your  Honor,  I  mean  a  Moor,  not  our 
friend  C.  H.  Moore;  and  I  therefore  repeat  that  my  client 
may  be  a  Moor  but  he  is  not  a  Negro." 

The  recollection  by  Mr.  Weldon  of  Lincoln's  prover- 
bially generous  treatment  of  his  clients  in  the  matter  of  fees 
prompts  me  to  repeat  an  incident  narrated  to  me  by  John 
W.  Bunn,  the  veteran  banker,  who  was  also  a  client  and 
close  friend  of  Lincoln  and  who  outlived  all  the  other 
financiers  of  Lincoln's  day  in  Springfield.  "On  the  way 
from  his  home  to  the  office  or  vice  versa"  said  Mr.  Bunn  to 
me,  "Mr.  Lincoln  and  I  frequently  walked  a  short  dis- 
tance together.  One  morning  he  was  telling  me  about  a 
lawsuit  the  day  before  in  which  he  succeeded  in  gaining 
possession  of  a  farm  for  one  of  his  clients.  For  his  services 
he  had  made  a  charge  of  two  hundred  dollars,  but  said 
he  had  been  thinking  the  matter  over  and  was  beginning 


UNDER  VS.  FLEENOR  165 

to  wonder  if  that  wasn't,  after  all,  rather  too  stiff  a  fee.  He 
asked  my  opinion,  but  before  I  could  answer  we  espied,  a 
short  distance  ahead  of  us,  Ben.  Edwards,  the  lawyer  who 
represented  the  other  side  of  the  case,  and  lost  it.  When 
we  overtook  him  Lincoln,  curious  to  learn  whether  the  fee 
he  charged  equaled  or  exceeded  that  of  his  opponent,  ven- 
tured to  inquire  how  he  fared  in  settling  with  his  client. 
'Very  well,'  answered  Edwards.  'My  man  said  that  inas- 
much as  we  had  lost  he  hoped  I  would  be  proportionately 
merciful  when  I  fixed  my  fee.  And  I  was:  for  I  let  him  off 
for  three  hundred  dollars."1 

The  record  of  one  slander  suit  tried  by  Lincoln  I  read 
with  not  a  little  interest.  It  is  not  especially  noteworthy, 
but  I  cannot  refrain  from  referring  to  it  because  the 
vital  incident  around  which  it  revolves,  as  outlined  by 
Lincoln  in  one  of  his  own  written  pleas,  took  place  within 
a  few  feet  of  the  very  spot  where  I  was  born  in  the  town 
of  Greencastle,  Indiana.  As  I  gathered  the  facts  from  the 
original  papers  in  Herndon's  hands,  it  developed  that 
early  in  the  summer  of  1847  John  Linder,  in  the  Circuit 
Court  of  Coles  County,  Illinois,  brought  an  action  for 
slander  against  Abraham  N.  Fleenor,  claiming  a  thousand 
dollars  in  damages.  The  grievance  against  Fleenor  was 
that  he  had  falsely  charged  Linder  with  perjury,  because 
the  latter,  a  short  time  previously,  had  testified  before  the 
Grand  Jury  that  Levi  B.  Fleenor  and  Emeline  Fleenor,  a 
woman  with  whom  he  was  living  as  a  wife,  were  not  mar- 
ried to  each  other.  Lincoln  was  retained  by  the  defendant, 
and  in  his  plea,  after  reciting  how  "wilfully,  maliciously 
and  corruptly"  the  plaintiff  had  testified  that  the  said 
Levi  B.  and  Emeline  Fleenor  had  not  been  married  to  each 


1 66  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

other,  concluded  the  paragraph  by  the  direct  and  unqual- 
ified averment,  "when  in  truth  the  said  Levi  B.  Fleenor 
and  the  said  Emeline  had  theretofore  been  married  to  each 
other  in  the  said  town  of  Greencastle  in  the  State  of  Indi- 
ana." This  last  allegation  Linder,  the  plaintiff,  promptly 
denied,  adding  that  the  parties  could  not  have  been  so 
married  without  his  knowing  it;  that  they  did  not  stop  in 
Greencastle  more  than  fifteen  minutes  (they  were  migrating 
overland  from  Indiana  to  Coles  County,  Illinois),  and  that 
the  said  Emeline  did  not  leave  the  wagon  during  the  in- 
terval, thus  implying  that,  as  the  contracting  parties  did 
not  stand  on  terra  firma,  there  could  have  been  no  binding 
marriage.  But  the  logic  of  this  proposition  did  not  com- 
mend itself  to  Lincoln,  and  its  only  effect  was  to  evoke 
from  him  a  repetition  of  the  statement  that  the  marriage 
did  take  place  in  the  town  of  Greencastle  as  alleged.  Even 
though  the  dainty  foot  of  the  gentle  Emeline  may  not  have 
been  lifted  from  the  wagon  during  the  fifteen  minutes' 
sojourn  in  the  Indiana  village,  it  did  not  necessarily  follow 
that  an  accommodating  parson  or  squire  was  not  conven- 
iently near  by  and  himself  standing  on  the  ground  so  as 
to  solemnize  properly  the  marital  union  which,  according 
to  the  contention  of  Lincoln  and  his  client,  undoubtedly 
followed. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  dwell  further  on  the  details  of  this 
quaint,  pioneer  controversy  beyond  relating  that  a  judg- 
ment was  rendered  against  Lincoln's  client  for  a  thou- 
sand dollars,  of  which  amount  nine  hundred  and  fifty  dol- 
lars was  remitted,  thus  leaving  due  a  net  balance  of  only 
fifty  dollars.  The  averments  in  Lincoln's  hand  were 
not  facts  of  his  own  knowledge,  but,  like  many  other  al- 


DORMAN  VS.  LANE  167 

legations  incorporated  in  an  attorney's  plea,  were  based 
entirely  on  information  furnished  by  his  client.  In  this 
case  the  client,  doubtless,  misrepresented  the  facts;  for  a 
careful  and  thorough  examination  of  the  public  records  at 
the  town  of  Greencastle,  Indiana,  fails  to  reveal  any  evi- 
dence of  the  marriage  of  the  said  Levi  and  Emeline  Fleenor 
or  any  other  members  of  the  Fleenor  family. 

Another  story  of  a  Lincoln  lawsuit  and  I  pass  to  other  in- 
cidents. The  case  of  Dorman  w.  Lane,  appealed  from 
Gallatin  County,  reached  the  Supreme  Court  of  Illinois 
in  1 842  and  was  in  court  for  a  long  time.  Briefly  told,  Re- 
becca Daimwood,  an  orphan  girl,  believing  she  had  been 
defrauded  in  the  settlement  of  her  father's  estate,  brought 
suit  against  John  Lane,  her  guardian,  to  recover  certain 
lands  sold  by  him,  ostensibly,  for  her  maintenance.  Sam- 
uel D.  Marshall,  a  Shawneetown  lawyer,  gained  the  case 
for  the  girl  in  the  lower  court,  but  Lane  promptly  ap- 
pealed to  the  Supreme  Court,  whereupon  Lincoln  was 
retained  to  assist  Marshall  in  the  girl's  behalf.  Lyman 
Trumbull  appeared  for  Lane.  "The  action  was  warmly 
contested,"  said  Franklin  M.  Eddy,  son  of  Henry  Eddy, 
one  of  the  lawyers  associated  with  Trumbull,  "but  Lin- 
coln, unaided,  beat  them  all  as  the  record  of  the  Supreme 
Court  easily  proves."  Meanwhile  Miss  Daimwood  had 
married  William  Dorman,  a  young  farmer,  and  he  there- 
fore became  a  party  to^the  litigation. 

In  due  season  the  case  was  disposed  of  and  the  time 
came  for  the  lawyers  to  put  their  heads  together  and  reach 
some  understanding  regarding  the  size  of  their  respective 
fees.  As  the  case  progressed,  Mr.  Lincoln,  aside  from  his 
professional  relation,  had  become  more  or  less  interested 


1 68  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

in  the  fortunes  of  Rebecca  and  her  young  husband. 
Though  the  latter  was  poor,  he  was  also  both  deserving 
and  ambitious;  and,  in  addition,  there  were  in  the  bearing 
and  history  of  the  two  some  things  that  in  various  ways 
appealed  to  Lincoln's  sympathy  and  sense  of  justice. 
When,  therefore,  Marshall  reminded  him  that  their  cli- 
ents, Dorman  and  his  wife,  were  anxious  to  learn  how  much 
of  a  fee  he  was  expecting  from  them,  Lincoln  answered 
that,  so  far  as  his  connection  with  the  case  extended, 
there  would  be  no  charge;  that  if  in  this  case  he  had 
gained  any  substantial  advantage  the  thanks  of  his  grate- 
ful clients  were  sufficient  remuneration  for  what  he  had 
accomplished.  Having  thus  expressed  himself,  he  author- 
ized Marshall  to  assure  the  newly  married  couple  that  they 
might  appropriately  consider  his  service  in  their  behalf  as  a 
willing  though  somewhat  belated  wedding  present. 

"Dorman  was  a  very  strong  Democrat,"  is  the  testi- 
mony of  Frank  M.  Eddy,  of  Shawneetown,  "but  always 
voted  for  Samuel  D.  Marshall  when  he  was  a  candidate 
for  office.  Dorman  named  his  youngest  boy  by  Rebecca 
for  Marshall,  and  I  heard  him  on  more  than  one  occasion 
say  that,  had  his  wife  lived  to  bear  him  another  son,  he 
would  have  been  named  Abraham  Lincoln.  When  Mr. 
Lincoln  was  a  candidate  for  President  in  1860,  Dorman, 
in  spite  of  his  many  Democratic  friends,  voted  for  him, 
and  when  the  latter  protested  he  only  answered:  'Lin- 
coln and  Marshall  recovered  my  wife's  land  and  would  not 
charge  me  a  cent.  Of  course  I  honor  them  for  it,  and  I 
intend  to  vote  and  fight  for  them  as  evidence  of  my  grati- 
tude.' I  heard  this  from  Dorman's  lips  many  times,  es- 
pecially in  1860  when  Mr.  Lincoln  first  ran  for  President." 


CHAPTER  XIII 

Lincoln  seldom  wrote  briefs  or  legal  arguments  —  Scarcely  ever  made  notes  — 
Of  the  few  briefs  he  reduced  to  writing  Herndon  preserved  but  a  portion  —  One 
was  a  petition  for  rehearing  in  Patterson  vs.  Edwards  tried  in  the  Supreme 
Court  in  1 845  —  Slander  suit  between  two  women  —  Notable  specimen  of  Lin- 
coln's reasoning  —  Smith  vs.  Smith,  suit  on  election  bet  —  Vigorous  denuncia- 
tion of  those  who  bet  on  elections  —  Hurd  vs.  Rock  Island  Bridge  Company 
tried  by  Lincoln  in  United  States  Circuit  Court  in  Chicago  —  Record  of  Lin- 
coln's argument  before  the  jury  as  delivered,  preserved,  and  reproduced  by 
Robert  R.  Hitt,  the  shorthand  reporter  —  How  Lincoln  talked  when  he  faced 
a  jury  —  What  he  thought  of  Judge  McLean. 

ALTHOUGH  skillful  and  efficient  if  not  voluminous  in  the 
matter  of  drawing  up  pleadings  and  preparing  papers 
generally,  Mr.  Lincoln  rarely  wrote  out  his  speeches, 
briefs,  or  legal  arguments;  in  fact,  so  reluctant  was  he  to 
put  his  spoken  utterance  in  manuscript  form  that  in 
many  instances  he  even  neglected  to  prompt  his  memory 
by  making  notes.  The  result  is  that  much  of  what  has 
been  put  forth  portraying  his  methods  and  achievements 
as  an  advocate  or  public  speaker  is  in  a  large  degree  based, 
not  on  what  he  had  taken  the  pains  to  commit  to  writing, 
but  on  the  personal  recollection  of  others  who  claim  to 
have  been  present  and  heard  him  when  he  expressed  him- 
self in  public.  In  this  way  it  is  possible  that  some  of  the 
things  he  is  reported  to  have  said  have  not  been  as  faith- 
fully and  accurately  reproduced  as  if  preserved  in  his  own 
handwriting.  When  I  was  in  Springfield  and  began  my 
inquiry  into  Lincoln's  history  as  a  lawyer,  I  was  im- 
pressed by  this  fact,  and  therefore  in  my  quest  of  infor- 
mation was  never  satisfied  till  I  had  reached  original 
sources.  To  that  end,  through  the  good  offices  of  Mr. 
Herndon  and  others  equally  indulgent  and  trustworthy, 


170  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

I  was  granted  access  to  and  permitted  to  copy  certain  of 
the  very  briefs  which  Mr.  Lincoln  deemed  of  sufficient 
interest  and  importance  to  preserve  in  his  own  penman- 
ship. Although  limited  in  number  they  are  characteristic 
specimens  of  his  method  of  reasoning  and  style  of  expres- 
sion as  well  as  unquestioned  evidence  of  his  actual  utter- 
ance. In  presenting  them  thus  publicly  I  presume  I  should 
beg  the  indulgence  of  such  persons  as  may  question  their 
propriety,  for  some  of  them  may  touch  upon  delicate  and 
suggestive  topics.  We  should  remember  they  are  a  part 
of  Lincoln  and  should,  for  that  reason,  be  preserved.  It 
is  possible  they  may  not  please  or  attract  every  reader, 
but  they  cannot  fail  of  their  effect  on  the  lawyers  of  the 
land  and  that  vast  army  of  other  people  who  will  not  be 
content  till  they  see  Lincoln  "just  as  he  was." 

Without  further  explanation  or  apology  I  venture  to 
quote  from  Lincoln's  brief  in  the  case  of  Patterson  vs. 
Edwards  appealed  to  the  Supreme  Court  of  Illinois.  It 
was  a  suit  between  two  women  in  which  one  charged 
the  other  was  the  mother  of  a  negro  child.  The  court 
having  ruled  against  his  client  Lincoln  petitioned  for  a 
rehearing.  Following  is  a  portion  of  his  argument  copied 
from  the  original  draft  in  Lincoln's  handwriting  which 
lies  before  me  as  I  write: 

In  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  State  of  Illinois,  December  term 

A.D.  1845.    Patterson  &  wife  vs.  Edwards  &  wife.  Error  to 

Mason. 

And  now  we,  the  defendants  in  error,  present  this,  our  peti- 
tion, for  a  rehearing  in  this  cause.  This  court  reversed  the  judg- 
ment of  the  court  below; 

First:  Because  the  court  below  denied  the  motion  for  a  new 
trial  —  and 

Secondly;    Because  the  court  below  denied  the  motion  in 


SLANDER  SUIT  BETWEEN  TWO  WOMEN    171 

arrest  of  judgment.  To  entitle  ourselves  to  a  rehearing,  it  is 
incumbent  on  us  to  make  it  appear  -probable,  at  least,  that  the 
court  below  decided  correctly  on  both  of  these  points. 

And  first  as  to  the  question  of  new  trial.  In  reversing  the 
judgment  on  this  point,  the  court  seem  to  proceed  on  the  sup- 
position that  the  words  alleged  and  the  words  proved  are  not  the 
same  —  that  there  is  a  material  variance.  That  there  is  a  literal 
variance  is  certain;  but  is  it  a  material  one?  The  words  alleged 
are:  "Mrs.  Edwards  has  raised  a  family  of  children  by  a  negro, 
and  I  can  prove  it."  If  we  change  the  language  from  the  second 
person,  past  tense,  as  detailed  by  the  witnesses,  to  the  first  per- 
son, present  tense,  as  spoken  by  Mrs.  Patterson,  the  words 
proved  by  Mrs.  Seymour,  to  have  been  spoken  by  Mrs.  Patter- 
son are:  "I  did  tell  Julius  Scoville  that  Mrs.  Edwards  has  had 
children  by  a  negro,  and  it  is  true";  and  those  proved  by  Mrs. 
Edwards  are,  "Your  mother  has  had  children  by  a  negro,  and 
all  her  children  are  negroes." 

Now  in  what  particular,  this  court  regards  these  words  as 
•proved  materially  variant  from  those  alleged  the  opinion  does  not 
state:  but  merely  states  the  undeniable  doctrine  that  it  is  not 
sufficient  to  prove  equivalent  words.  What  in  the  sense  of  the  law 
are  equivalent  words?  We  understand  equivalent  words  to  be 
the  words  amounting  to  something  very  near  the  charge  and 
quite  as  bad  as  the  charge  alleged;  while  we  understand  words 
amounting  to  the  identical  charge  alleged,  as  being,  in  the  sense 
of  the  law,  not  merely  equivalent  words  but  the  words  alleged, 
notwithstanding  a  slight  literal  or  verbal  variance  —  we  insist 
that  a  variance  to  be  material  in  law,  must  be  a  variance  in 
sense.  If  we  are  right  in  this,  we  ask  '  Is  there  any  difference 
in  sense  between  saying  a  woman  has  raised  children  by  a  negro, 
and  saying  she  had  children  by  a  negro? 

On  the  question  of  variance  we  refer  the  court  to 

i  Starkie  on  Slander  side  pages  369  to  383  inclusive  &  notes. 

Also  2  Co  wen  479-83. 

But  if  there  is  a  material  variance,  and  the  evidence  was  there- 
fore improper  to  be  received  under  the  issue,  still,  could  the 
party  opposed,  permit  it  to  go  to  the  jury,  without  objection,  let 
us  rest  without  supposing  it  necessary  to  introduce  other  evi- 
dence, take  the  chance  of  a  verdict  and  after  losing  make  the 
objection  for  the  first  time  by  motion  for  a  new  trial?  Let  it  be 


172  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

borne  in  mind  that  the  objection  is  not  to  proper  evidence  in- 
sufficient in  amount  but  to  improper  evidence. 

On  this  point  we  refer  to  i  Bibb  248, 4  Wendell  277-283. 

But  if  the  variance  is  material  and  the  objection  might  prop- 
erly be  taken  for  the  first  time,  by  a  motion  for  a  new  trial, 
ought  the  court  below  to  have  allowed  the  motion  without  our 
attention  and  the  court's  attention  being  particularly  drawn  to 
the  point  by  reasons  in  writing,  according  to  the  statute?  We 
insist  that  by  our  statute,  upon  principle  and  upon  analogous  de- 
cisions, a  court  ought  not  to  allow  a  new  trial,  unless  the  ground 
on  which  it  is  sought,  be  specifically  pointed  out.  On  page  491, 
Sec.  20  of  an  old  revised  code  is  the  following,  to  wit:  "And  if 
either  party  may  wish  to  except  to  the  verdict,  or  for  other 
causes  to  move  for  a  new  trial,  or  in  arrest  of  judgment,  he  shall, 
before  final  judgment  be  entered,  give,  by  himself  or  counsel  to 
the  opposite  party,  or  his  counsel,  the  points  in  writing,  par- 
ticularly specifying  the  grounds  of  such  motion  and  shall  also 
furnish  the  judge  with  a  copy  of  the  same,  etc." 

Upon  principle  we  say,  that  it  is  unfair  to  the  court  below,  to 
reverse  his  judgment  upon  a  point  never  presented  to  the  judge's 
consideration;  that  it  is  unfair  to  us  to  do  here,  at  our  delay, 
trouble  and  expense  what  might  have  been  done  in  the  court 
below,  upon  the  ground  being  fairly  shown;  and  further,  that  it 
is  probable  the  variances,  such  as  it  appears  in  the  Bill  of  Ex- 
ceptions, did  not  really  exist;  but  that  it  got  into  the  Bill  only 
by  the  carelessness  of  the  court  below  and  of  us;  no  such  point 
being  supposed  to  be  involved.  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  add  that 
no  such  reasons  in  writing,  as  we  hold  to  be  necessary  appear 
by  the  record.  For  decisions  bearing  on  this  point  we  reifer  to 
i  Bibb  142,  i  Scam.  233,  4  Wendell  484-9.  In  this  last  case 
the  court  say:  "If  counsel  will  not  discriminate  in  their  objec- 
tions, so  as  to  draw  the  attention  of  the  court  to  what  is  con- 
ceived to  be  objectionable  in  the  decision  made,  they  are  pre- 
cluded from  urging  it  as  a  cause  for  reversing  the  judgment.' 

On  the  question  of  arrest  of  judgment  this  court  declared 
that  the  words  "Mrs.  Edwards  has  raised  a  family  of  children  by 
a  negro"  do  not, "  in  their  plain  and  popular  sense,  or  in  common 
acceptation,  necessarily  amount  to  charge  of  adultery."  Wherein 
these  words  vary  from,  or  fall  short  of  such  a  charge,  the 
opinion  does  not  state.  Whether  the  court  believe  that  these 


SPECIMEN  OF  LINCOLN'S  REASONING    173 

words  do  not  mean,  that  Mrs.  Edwards  had  raised  a  family  of 
children,  of  whom  she  was  the  mother,  and  a  negro  was  the 
father;  or  whether,  admitting  this,  the  court  believe  she  may 
have  been  the  wife  of  the  negro,  and  therefore,  may  have  borne 
children  by  him  without  adultery,  the  opinion  shows  nothing 
from  which  we  can  judge.  Until  the  decision  of  this  court,  we 
had  never  supposed  there  could  be  a  rational  doubt  that  these 
words  would  be  construed  by  all  who  might  hear  them,  as  the 
declaration  construes  them.  We  have  thought,  and  still  do 
think,  that  if  twelve  plain  men  should  enter  this  room  and  each, 
out  of  the  hearing  of  the  others  should  be  told  these  words,  not 
one  of  them  would  fail  to  attach  to  them  the  very  meaning  that 
the  declaration  attaches  to  them.  But  we  may  be  mistaken; 
and  we  now  proceed  to  treat  them  as  being  of  more  doubtful 
import  than  we  had  thought.  The  opinion  says  the  words  "do 
not  necessarily  amount  to  a  charge  of  adultery  etc."  We  say, 
as  matter  of  law,  that  to  sustain  the  judgment  of  the  court  be- 
low, they  need  not  necessarily  to  amount  to  such  a  charge.  We 
say  they  need  only  be  capable  of  the  meaning  attached  to  them 
by  the  declaration;  even  though  the  contrary  meaning  were 
more  probably  the  true  one.  In  this,  we  do  not  speak  without 
the  books.  We  will  furnish  the  court,  if  they  desire,  with  a  new 
edition,  in  two  volumes,  of  Starkie  on  Slander,  and  refer  to  Vol- 
ume i — side  pages  44  to  51  inclusive.  The  construction  of 
words  of  doubtful  meaning  is  there  fully  discussed.  It  is  there 
shown  that  there  was  an  old,  and  is  a  new  rule  on  the  subject; 
that  the  old  rule  was  to  construe  words  in  mitiori  sensu,  or,  in 
the  most  favourable  sense  for  the  defendant,  which  they  were 
capable  of  bearing,  never  allowing  a  plaintiff  to  have  a  judg- 
ment, unless  the  words  necessarily  amounted  to  the  charge  he 
alleged  in  his  declaration;  that  this  old  rule  has  been  exploded 
nearly  or  quite  a  hundred  years;  and  a  new  rule  fully  established. 
A  train  of  decisions  under  each  rule  is  given;  and  on  side  pages 
59  &  60  the  author  sums  up  in  these  words. 

From  these  cases  containing  the  opinion  of  some  of  the  most 
enlightened  judges  of  their  own,  or  any  other  times,  it  may  be 
collected;  ist  That  when  words  are  capable  of  two  constructions 
in  what  sense  they  were  meant,  is  a  matter  of  fact  to  be  decided 
by  the  jury.  2nd  That  they  (the  jury)  are  to  be  guided,  in  form- 
ing their  opinion  by  the  impression  which  the  words  or  signs 


174  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

used  were  calculated  to  make  on  the  minds  of  those  who  heard 
or  saw  them,  as  collected  from  the  whole  of  the  circumstances. 

3rd  That  such  words  or  signs  will,  after  verdict  for  the  plain- 
tiff be  considered  by  the  court  to  have  been  used  in  their  worst 
sense.  See  notes  also.  Also  see  2  Cowen  479  to  82  where  the 
court  say  —  "  But  aside  from  the  difficulty  as  to  the  remedy,  it  is 
a  sufficient  answer  to  this  application  that  the  words  proved 
would  admit  of  some  doubt  as  to  their  meaning,  and  where 
there  is  room  for  the  least  criticism  upon  their  import,  it  is 
properly  a  question  for  the  jury,  whose  decision  is  conclusive." 
For  these  reasons  your  petitioners  pray  for  a  rehearing  of  said 
cause. 

LINCOLN  p.  q. 

The  brief  of  another  argument  by  Lincoln  is  worthy 
of  our  attention,  because,  when  we  read  his  observations 
and  moral  reflections  outlined  therein,  we  are  no  longer 
at  a  loss  to  determine  what  he  thought  of  gambling,  and 
more  particularly  his  attitude  regarding  the  sin  fulness,  if 
any,  of  betting  on  elections.  His  deductions  in  the  suit 
of  Smith  vs.  Smith,  which  was  appealed  to  the  Supreme 
Court  of  Illinois  from  Bond  County,  are  both  pertinent 
and  suggestive.  After  relating  that  in  November,  1856, 
two  days  after  the  presidential  election,  Isaac  Smith,  the 
plaintiff  in  error,  made  a  bet  of  one  hundred  and  ten  dol- 
lars with  one  Moffett,  against  a  buggy  owned  by  the  latter, 
that  the  vote  of  Fillmore  as  a  candidate  for  President  of 
the  United  States  was  not  behind  the  other  candidates  in 
the  State  of  New  York,  he  continues: 

The  defendant  attempts  to  defend  his  wrong  by  proving  a  bet 
on  the  Presidential  election  in  this  wise:  He  says  he  bet  some 
money  with  Moffett  against  the  buggy  of  Moffett  on  the  Presi- 
dential Election  in  the  State  of  New  York;  that  the  money  and 
buggy  were  put  into  the  hands  of  a  stake-holder;  and  that  the 
stake-holder  about  the  i4th  day  of  November,  1856,  decided 


SUIT  ON  AN  ELECTION  BET  175 

the  bet  in  the  favor  of  the  defendant  below.  The  defendant  took 
the  buggy  away  from  the  place  where  the  plaintiff  left  it  at  the 
time  of  the  trade.  See  Record  —  page  9.  The  trade  between 
Moffett  and  plaintiff  below  was  for  the  buggy  in  controversy. 
Now  it  appears  that  Moffett's  and  the  plaintiff's  trade  about 
and  for  the  buggy  and  note  was  before  the  bet.  This  does  not 
appear  from  absolute  figures,  but  it  is  necessarily  so,  as  the  wit- 
nesses in  spirit  state  it.  But  suppose  this  is  not  so,  yet  //  is  posi- 
tively true  that  the  plaintiff  below  and  Moffett  traded  as  afore- 
said long  before  the  stake-holder  had  decided  the  question  and 
long  before  the  defendant  below  took  possession  of  the  buggy. 

And  now  this  question  is  presented:  Is  this  gambling  debt 
contrary  to  the  laws  of  this  state,  or  public  policy,  or  morality; 
and  this  being  the  case,  as  we  think  it  is,  the  seller  of  the  buggy 
had  a  right  to  repent  of  the  law's  violation  and  to  revoke  the  bet; 
and  the  power  conferred  on  the  stake-holder  so  long  as  the 
Presidential  question  in  the  State  of  N.  Y.  was  an  open  and  un- 
decided question  by  the  stake-holder. 

ist  —  This  is  gambling  and  comes  within  the  provisions  of 
our  statute  against  gambling.  See  Rev.  Statute  pages  177-263; 
2  Carter  (Indiana)  499  and  2  Vol.  Freeman's  Digest  1570-71. 
We  think  that  betting  on  Presidential  elections  over  the  Union, 
or  in  particular  states  thereof,  comes  within  the  spirit  of  the  laws; 
and  if  not  such  betting  is  contrary  to  public  policy  and  morality 
and  therefore  void,  or,  at  least,  voidable;  i.e.  that  bets  may  be 
revoked  while  the  decision  is  pending. 

2nd.  —  And  now  for  the  revocation  argument:  A  bet  may  be 
revoked  because  it  is  contrary  to  the  law  of  this  state  or  its 
public  policy  or  public  morality.  See  9  Barlow  315;  18  Penn  329; 
12  B.  Monroe  140-141 ;  1 1  Cushing357.  This  bet  was  revoked  by 
the  sale  to  the  plaintiff  below,  long  before  the  decision  of  the 
question  by  the  stake-holder,  and  this  repenting  and  revoking  the 
law  allows  —  yea  favors.  ,  j 

Following  this  comes  a  long  list  of  authorities  includ- 
ing various  court  decisions  relied  upon  by  Mr.  Lincoln  un- 
necessary to  enumerate  here.  The  remaining  item  that 
merits  our  attention  is  the  closing  paragraph  of  the  brief. 
It  is  in  the  form  of  a  moral  essay,  but  is  in  the  handwrit- 


176  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

ing  of  Herndon  who  also  signs  the  firm's  name  to  the 
document.  Whether  it  expresses  Lincoln's  real  ideas,  or 
those  of  Herndon,  or  both,  does  not  appear;  but  viewed 
at  this  distance  we  cannot  deny  that  it  has  the  right  ring. 
It  reads  as  follows: 

This  Union  is  a  brotherhood  of  states  and  it  is  said  that 
if  it  is  to  fall  it  will  be  caused  by  fraud,  force  and  wrong  upon  the 
ballot-box.  Once  make  Missouri,  Kentucky  and  Indiana  inter- 
ested by  bets  in  Illinois  elections,  though  for  President,  and  you 
hold  out  inducements  to  raids,  ruffianism,  etc.  The  same  with 
reference  to  elections  in  Indiana,  Kentucky  and  Missouri  and 
the  people  of  Illinois  will  overrun  those  states.  Build  up  good 
communities;  do  as  you  would  be  done  by  and  all  is  safe  and 
right.  Let  the  court  put  its  face  against  betting  on  all  elec- 
tions in  this  Union;  but  upon  totally  foreign  countries  leave  it 
as  at  common  law  though  barbarous.  The  complicated  rela- 
tions of  these  32  states  to  each  other  and  the  Union  create  a  pe- 
culiar public  policy.  Read  3  Scammon  again  and  reverse  or 
modify  it. 

Respectfully 

LINCOLN  &  HERNDON 

Notwithstanding  the  varied  and  interesting  incidents 
of  Lincoln's  life  which  I  have  gathered  and  tried  to  pre- 
serve, I  cannot  but  feel  that  any  delineation  of  his  char- 
acter as  a  lawyer  will  be  incomplete  if  it  does  not  throw 
the  required  light  on  his  qualification  and  equipment  as 
an  advocate  —  if  it  fails  to  indicate  how  he  appeared 
and  what  he  said  when  he  looked  into  their  faces  and 
sought  to  convince  the  twelve  men  who  confronted  him 
from  the  jury  box.  Thus  far  I  have  been  content  to  quote 
from  the  briefs  of  arguments  carefully  written  out  by  him 
before  they  were  read  to  learned  and  dignified  judges;  but 
now  I  beg  the  indulgence  of  the  reader  if  I  venture  to 
present,  as  accurately  as  human  agency  can  reproduce  it, 


HURD  VS.  ROCK  ISLAND  BRIDGE  CO.     177 

his  language  when  he  addressed  the  jury  in  the  famous 
Rock  Island  Bridge  case,  tried  in  the  United  States  Cir- 
cuit Court  in  Chicago  in  September,  1857,  Judge  John 
McLean,  of  the  Supreme  Court,  presiding.  In  order  to 
keep  within  proper  bounds  it  will  be  necessary  to  abridge 
Lincoln's  speech  somewhat,  but  even  then  I  fear  I  shall 
make  serious  inroads  on  the  reader's  patience. 

As  the  suit  was,  in  reality,  one  of  the  most  memorable 
Lincoln  ever  tried,  a  few  words  of  explanation  are  es- 
sential. The  action  was  entitled  Hurd  vs.  Rock  Island 
Bridge  Company,  and  grew  out  of  the  opposition  by  the 
steamboat  people  interested  in  the  navigation  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi River  to  the  construction  of  a  bridge  across  that 
stream.  The  bridge  between  Rock  Island  and  Davenport 
was  built  and  in  use  only  a  short  time  when  the  steamboat 
Effie  Afton  passing  up,  proceeded  some  two  hundred  feet 
above  the  head  of  the  long  draw  pier  when  one  of  her 
wheels  stopped,  and  the  other  being  continued,  the  boat 
turned  around  against  the  tendency  of  the  current  and 
brought  up  against  the  bridge  at  the  pier  next  east  of  the 
draw  pier.  A  stove  was  overturned  by  the  shock,  burning 
the  boat,  and  the  span  against  which  it  struck.  The  result 
was  a  suit  by  the  steamboat  people  against  me  owners 
of  the  bridge,  which  included  the  railroad  company,  for 
damages,  on  the  ground  that  the  bridge  was  an  obstruc- 
tion to  navigation.  The  counsel  for  the  plaintiff  included 
H.  M.  Wead,  of  Peoria,  Illinois,  and  T.  D.  Lincoln,  of 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  a  prominent  admiralty  lawyer  famil- 
iarly known  as  "Tim"  Lincoln,  and  Corydon  Beckwith,  of 
Chicago,  afterwards  a  member  of  the  Supreme  Court  of 
Illinois.  The  counsel  for  the  defendant  consisted  of  Nor- 


178  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

man  B.  Judd,  of  Chicago,  Joseph  Knox,  of  Rock  Island, 
and  Abraham  Lincoln,  of  Springfield. 

"The  case  was  of  absorbing  interest  to  the  river  towns," 
says  John  T.  Richards,  formerly  President  of  the  Chicago 
Bar  Association,  "as  well  as  to  those  centers  of  population 
whose  future  prosperity  was  dependent  upon  the  devel- 
opment of  railroad  transportation.  The  people  of  the 
country  were  divided  in  accordance  with  local  self-interest. 
The  people  of  St.  Louis,  Cincinnati,  and  other  towns  sim- 
ilarly situated  believed  that  if  the  railroad  companies  were 
permitted  to  build  bridges  across  the  navigable  rivers  of 
the  country  they  would  lose  the  commercial  advantages 
which  they  enjoyed  from  traffic  upon  the  Mississippi  and 
Ohio  Rivers;  and  the  owners  of  the  steamboats,  who  for 
many  years  had  enjoyed  a  monopoly  of  the  transportation 
of  freight  from  points  west  of  the  Mississippi,  foresaw  that 
if  the  railroads  were  to  be  allowed  to  transport  freight  from 
the  vast  territory  west  of  that  great  artery  of  commerce 
across  that  river  and  through  to  the  eastern  seaboard 
without  the  expense  of  reloading  on  the  banks  of  the 
streams  over  which  it  must  pass  to  reach  its  destination, 
that  monopoly  would  be  destroyed.  Hence  the  interests 
referred  to  combined  in  the  case  against  the  bridge  com- 
pany for  the  purpose  of  preventing  the  building  of  other 
bridges  which  would  interfere  with  river  traffic." 

The  newspapers  of  Chicago,  Cincinnati,  and  St.  Louis 
gave  unusual  publicity  to  the  "Effie  Afton  Case,"  the 
name  by  which  the  suit  was  popularly  known.  "  Some  idea 
of  the  bitterness  of  the  contest,"  writes  Frederick  Trevor 
Hill,  "may  be  gathered  from  the  fact  that  the  railroad 
charged  the  steamboat  captain  with  being  bribed  to  run 


KURD  VS.  ROCK  ISLAND  BRIDGE  CO.     179 

his  vessel  against  the  bridge  and  thus  make  a  case  of  ob- 
structed navigation.  This  accusation  was,  of  course, 
angrily  denied;  but  when  the  bridge  was  accidentally 
burned  all  the  river  craft  gathered  at  the  spot  and  let  their 
whistles  loose  in  sheer  joy  at  the  disaster.  Under  these 
circumstances  it  required  a  cool  head  and  an  even  temper 
to  carry  the  day,  and  Lincoln  was  to  equal  the  occasion." 

For  such  portions  of  Lincoln's  argument  on  this  oc- 
casion as  are  here  quoted  credit  is  due  Robert  R.  Hitt, 
the  shorthand  reporter  representing  the  "Chicago  Press 
and  Tribune,"  who  was  present,  heard  Lincoln  and  took 
down  his  speech.  Mr.  Hitt  assured  the  writer  and  Mr. 
Horace  White,  for  many  years  editor  of  the  "Tribune," 
that  he  reported  it  for  the  paper  with  unusual  fidelity  and 
that  when  he  had  elaborated  his  notes  he  was  sure  his 
version  of  the  speech  was  as  nearly  word  for  word  the 
language  of  Lincoln  as  he  knew  how  to  preserve  and  re- 
cord it.  As  it  is  probably  the  only  published  utterance  of 
Lincoln  prior  to  1860,  with  the  exception  of  his  debate 
with  Douglas,  his  lecture  on  "Discovery  and  Invention" 
in  1859,  and  the  Cooper  Institute  address,  which  ap- 
proaches the  literal  reproduction  of  his  spoken  words,  it 
cannot  fail  to  interest  the  man  who  never  saw  Lincoln  and 
who  is,  therefore,  all  the  more  anxious  to  learn  how  the 
latter  expressed  himself  when  he  undertook  to  convince 
a  jury  of  his  peers.  As  already  indicated  the  limitations  of 
space  forbid  the  insertion  of  the  entire  speech,  but  certain 
portions  are  so  edifying  and  characteristic  they  cannot 
well  be  omitted. 

After  the  usual  recognition  of  the  judge  and  jury,  Lincoln 
began: 


i8o  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

It  is  foreign  to  my  purpose  to  pursue  or  assail  anybody,  and 
although  I  may  seem  to  grow  earnest  I  shall  try  not  to  be  offen- 
sive or  ill-natured.  There  is  some  conflict  of  testimony  in  this 
case,  but  one  quarter  of  such  a  number  of  witnesses  seldom  agree, 
and  even  if  all  were  on  one  side  some  discrepancy  might  still  be 
expected.  We  are  to  try  to  reconcile  them  and  to  believe  that 
they  are  not  intentionally  erroneous  as  long  as  we  can. 

Following  this  Lincoln  called  to  mind  the  opposition 
to  the  bridge  which  developed  at  St.  Louis  because  that 
place  felt  that  it  was  adverse  to  her  commerce  and  would 
divert  a  portion  of  it  from  the  river. 

It  would  not  be  pleasing  to  me,  [he  continued,]  to  have  one  of 
these  great  channels  extending  from  where  it  never  freezes  to 
where  it  never  thaws  blocked  up;  but  there  is  a  travel  from  east 
to  west  whose  demands  are  not  less  important  than  those  of  the 
river.  It  is  growing  larger  and  larger,  building  up  new  countries 
with  a  rapidity  never  before  seen  in  the  history  of  the  world. 
This  current  of  travel  has  its  rights  as  well  as  that  north  and 
south.  If  the  river  had  not  the  advantage  in  priority  and  legis- 
lation we  could  enter  into  free  competition  with  it  and  we  could 
surpass  it.  This  particular  railroad  line  has  a  great  importance 
and  the  statement  of  its  business  during  a  little  less  than  a  year 
shows  this  importance.  It  is  in  evidence  that  from  September 
8,  1856,  to  August  8,  1857,  12,586  freight  cars  and  74,179  pas- 
sengers passed  over  this  bridge.  Navigation  was  closed  four 
days  short  of  four  months  last  year,  and  during  this  time  while 
the  river  was  of  no  use  this  road  and  bridge  were  valuable. 
There  is,  too,  a  considerable  portion  of  the  time  when  floating  or 
thin  ice  makes  the  river  useless  while  the  bridge  is  as  useful  as 
ever.  This  shows  that  this  bridge  must  be  treated  with  respect 
in  this  court  and  is  not  to  be  kicked  about  with  contempt.  The 
other  day  Judge  Wead  alluded  to  the  strife  of  the  contending 
interests  and  even  a  dissolution  of  the  Union;  but  the  proper 
mode. for  all  parties  in  this  affair  is  to  "live  and  let  live"  and 
then  we  will  find  a  cessation  of  the  trouble  about  the  bridge. 

And  now  I  ask  what  mood  were  the  steamboat  men  in  when 
this  bridge  was  burned?  Why,  there  was  a  shouting  and  ringing 


KURD  VS.  ROCK  ISLAND  BRIDGE  CO.     181 

of  bells  and  whistling  on  all  the  boats  as  it  fell.  It  was  a  jubilee, 
a  greater  celebration  than  follows  an  exciting  election. 

After  describing  the  difficulty  of  navigation  following 
the  burning  of  the  bridge,  alluding  to  the  "tapering  off" 
of  the  dangers,  and  predicting  that  as  the  boatmen  "get 
cool  the  ratio  of  accidents  will  decrease,"  Lincoln  proceeds 
to  pay  his  respects  to  the  opposing  counsel  as  follows: 

Judge  Wead  said  while  admitting  that  the  floats  went  straight 
through  there  was  a  difference  between  a  float  and  a  boat,  but  I 
do  not  remember  that  he  indulged  us  with  an  argument  in 
support  of  this  statement.  Is  it  because  there  is  a  difference  in 
size?  Will  not  a  small  body  and  a  large  one  float  the  same  way 
under  the  same  influence?  True  a  flatboat  will  float  faster  than 
an  eggshell  might  be  blown  away  by  the  wind,  but  if  under  the 
same  influence  they  would  go  the  same  way.  Logs,  floats, 
boards,  various  things,  the  witnesses  say,  all  show  the  same 
current.  Then  is  not  this  test  reliable?  At  all  depths,  too,  the 
direction  of  the  current  is  the  same.  A  series  of  these  floats 
would  make  a  line  as  long  as  a  boat  and  would  show  any  influ- 
ence upon  any  part  and  all  parts  of  the  boat. 

At  this  point  in  his  argument  Lincoln  evidently  fell 
back  on  his  knowledge  and  the  experience  he  gained  when 
he  floated  down  the  Mississippi  on  a  flatboat  to  New  Or- 
leans with  John  Hanks  a  quarter  of  a  century  before. 

I  will  now  speak  of  the  angular  position  of  the  piers.  What 
is  the  amount  of  the  angle  ?  The  course  of  the  river  is  a  curve 
and  the  pier  is  straight.  If  a  line  is  produced  from  the  upper 
end  of  the  long  pier  straight  with  the  pier  to  a  distance  of  three 
hundred  and  fifty  feet  and  a  line  is  drawn  from  a  point  in  the 
channel  opposite  this  point  to  the  head  of  the  pier,  Colonel  Na- 
son  says  they  will  form  an  angle  of  twenty  degrees.  But  the  angle 
if  measured  at  the  pier  is  seven  degrees;  that  is,  we  would  have 
to  move  the  pier  seven  degrees  to  make  it  exactly  straight  with 
the  current.  Would  that  make  the  navigation  better  or  worse? 
The  witnesses  of  the  plaintiff  seem  to  think  it  was  only  neces- 


i8a  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

sary  to  say  that  the  pier  formed  an  angle  with  the  current  and 
that  settled  the  matter.  Our  more  careful  and  accurate  wit- 
nesses say  that  though  they  had  been  accustomed  to  seeing  the 
piers  placed  straight  with  the  current,  yet  they  could  see  that 
here  the  current  had  been  made  straight  by  us  in  having  made 
this  slight  angle;  that  the  water  now  runs  just  right;  that  it  is 
straight  and  cannot  be  improved.  They  think  that  if  the  pier 
was  changed  the  eddy  would  be  divided  and  the  navigation  im- 
proved. 

I  am  not  now  going  to  discuss  the  question  of  what  is  a  ma- 
terial obstruction.  We  do  not  greatly  differ  about  the  law.  The 
cases  produced  here  are,  I  suppose,  proper  to  be  taken  into  con- 
sideration by  the  court  in  instructing  a  jury.  Some  of  them  I 
think  are  not  exactly  in  point,  but  I  am  still  willing  to  trust  His 
Honor,  Judge  McLean,  and  take  his  instructions  as  law.  What 
is  reasonable  skill  and  care?  This  is  a  thing  of  which  the  jury 
are  to  judge.  I  differ  from  the  other  side  when  it  says  that  they 
are  bound  to  exercise  no  more  care  than  was  taken  before  the 
building  of  the  bridge.  If  we  are  allowed  by  the  legislature  to 
build  the  bridge  which  will  require  them  to  do  more  than  before, 
when  a  pilot  conies  along  it  is  unreasonable  for  him  to  dash  on 
heedless  of  this  structure  which  has  been  legally  put  there.  The 
Afton  came  there  on  the  5th  and  lay  at  Rock  Island  until  next 
morning.  When  a  boat  lies  up  the  pilot  has  a  holiday,  and 
would  not  any  of  these  jurors  have  then  gone  around  to  the 
bridge  and  gotten  acquainted  with  the  place.  Pilot  Parker  has 
shown  here  that  he  does  not  understand  the  draw.  I  heard  him 
say  that  the  fall  from  the  head  to  the  foot  of  the  pier  was  four 
feet.  He  needs  information;  he  could  have  gone  there  that  day 
and  seen  there  was  no  such  fall.  He  should  have  discarded  pas- 
sion and  the  chances  are  that  he  would  have  had  no  disaster  at 
all.  He  was  bound  to  make  himself  acquainted  with  the  place. 

McCammon  says  that  the  current  and  the  swell  coming  from 
the  long  pier  drove  her  against  the  long  pier;  in  other  words, 
drove  her  toward  the  very  pier  from  which  the  current  came! 
It  is  an  absurdity  —  an  impossibility.  The  only  explanation  I 
can  find  for  this  contradiction  is  in  a  current  which  White  says 
strikes  out  from  the  long  pier  and  then  like  a  ram's  horn  turns 
back,  and  this  might  have  acted  somehow  in  this  manner. 

It  is  agreed  by  all  that  the  plaintiff's  boat  was  destroyed  and 


KURD  VS.  ROCK  ISLAND  BRIDGE  CO.    183 

that  it  was  destroyed  upon  the  head  of  the  short  pier;  that  she 
moved  from  the  channel  where  she  was  with  her  bow  above  the 
head  of  the  long  pier  till  she  struck  the  short  one,  swung  around 
under  the  bridge,  and  there  was  crowded  and  destroyed. 

I  shall  try  to  prove  that  the  average  velocity  of  the  current 
through  the  draw  with  the  boat  in  it  should  be  five  and  a  half 
miles  an  hour;  that  it  is  slowest  at  the  head  of  the  pier  and 
swiftest  at  the  foot  of  the  pier.  Their  lowest  estimate  in  evi- 
dence is  six  miles  an  hour;  their  highest  twelve  miles.  This  was 
the  testimony  of  men  who  made  no  experiment,  only  conjecture. 
We  have  adopted  the  most  exact  means.  The  water  runs  swift- 
est in  high  water  and  we  have  taken  the  point  of  nine  feet  above 
low  water.  The  water  when  the  Afton  was  lost  was  seven  feet 
above  low  water,  or  at  least  a  foot  lower  than  our  time.  Brayton 
and  his  assistant  timed  the  instruments,  the  best  instruments 
known  in  measuring  currents.  They  timed  them  under  various 
circumstances  and  they  found  the  current  five  miles  an  hour 
and  no  more.  They  found  that  the  water  at  the  upper  end  ran 
slower  than  five  miles;  that  below  it  was  swifter  than  five  miles; 
but  that  the  average  was  five  miles.  Shall  men  who  have  taken 
no  care,  who  conjecture,  some  of  whom  speak  of  twenty  miles 
an  hour,  be  believed  against  those  who  have  had  such  a  favor- 
able and  well-improved  opportunity?  They  would  not  even 
qualify  the  result.  Several  men  have  given  their  opinion  as  to 
the  distance  of  the  steamboat  Carson  and  I  suppose  if  one  should 
go  and  measure  that  distance  you  would  believe  him  in  prefer- 
ence to  all  of  them. 

These  measurements  were  made  when  the  boat  was  not  in 
the  draw.  It  has  been  ascertained  what  is  the  area  of  the  cross- 
section  of  this  stream  and  the  area  of  the  face  of  the  piers  and 
the  engineers  say  that  the  piers  being  put  there  will  increase  the 
current  proportionately  as  the  space  is  decreased.  So  with  the 
boat  in  the  draw.  The  depth  of  the  channel  was  twenty-two  feet, 
the  width  one  hundred  and  sixteen  feet;  multiply  these  and  you 
have  the  square  feet  across  the  water  of  the  draw,  viz.:  2552  feet. 
The  Afton  was  thirty-five  feet  wide  and  drew  five  feet,  making  a 
fourteenth  of  the  sum.  Now,  one  fourteenth  of  five  miles  is 
five  fourteenths  of  one  mile  —  about  one  third  of  a  mile  —  the 
increase  of  the  current.  We  will  call  the  current  five  and  a  half 
miles  per  hour.  The  next  thing  I  will  try  to  prove  is  that  the 


184  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

plaintiff's  boat  had  power  to  run  six  miles  an  hour  in  that  current. 
It  has  been  testified  that  she  was  a  strong,  swift  boat  able  to 
run  eight  miles  an  hour  upstream  in  a  current  of  four  miles  an 
hour  and  fifteen  miles  downstream.  Strike  the  average  and  you 
will  find  what  is  her  average  —  about  eleven  and  a  half  miles. 
Take  the  five  and  a  half  miles  which  is  the  speed  of  the  current 
in  the  draw  and  it  leaves  the  power  of  that  boat  in  that  draw  at 
six  miles  an  hour,  528  feet  per  minute,  and  84/5  feet  to  the 
second. 

Next  I  propose  to  show  that  there  are  no  cross-currents.  I 
know  their  witnesses  say  that  there  are  cross-currents;  that,  as 
one  witness  says,  there  were  three  cross-currents  and  two  eddies; 
so  far  as  mere  statement  without  experiment  and  mingled  with 
mistakes  can  go  they  have  proved.  But  can  these  men's  testi- 
mony be  compared  with  the  nice,  exact,  and  thorough  experi- 
ments of  our  witnesses.  Can  you  believe  that  these  floats  go 
across  the  currents?  It  is  inconceivable  that  they  could  not  have 
discovered  every  possible  current.  How  do  boats  find  currents 
that  floats  cannot  discover?  We  assume  the  position,  then, 
that  those  cross-currents  are  not  there.  My  next  proposition  is 
that  the  Afton  passed  between  the  S.  B.  Carson  and  the  Iowa 
shore.  That  is  undisputed. 

Next  I  shall  show  that  she  struck  first  the  short  pier,  then  the 
long  pier,  then  the  short  one  again,  and  there  she  stopped.  How 
did  the  boat  strike  when  she  went  in  ?  Here  is  an  endless  variety 
of  opinion  —  the  testimony  of  eighteen  witnesses.  But  ten  of 
them  say  what  pier  she  struck;  three  of  them  testify  that  she 
struck  first  the  short,  then  the  long,  and  the  short  for  the  last 
time.  None  of  the  rest  substantially  contradict  this.  I  assume 
that  these  men  have  got  the  truth  because  I  believe  it  an  es- 
tablished fact.  My  next  proposition  is  that  after  she  struck  the 
short  and  long  pier  and  before  she  got  back  to  the  short  pier, 
the  boat  got  right  with  her  bow  up.  So  says  the  pilot  Parker: 
"that  he  got  her  through  until  her  starboard  wheel  passed  the 
short  pier."  This  would  make  her  head  about  even  with  the 
head  of  the  long  pier.  He  says  her  head  was  as  high  or  higher 
than  the  head  of  the  long  pier.  Other  witnesses  confirmed  this 
one.  The  final  stroke  was  in  the  splash  door  aft  the  wheel. 
Witnesses  differ  but  the  majority  say  that  she  struck  thus. 


HURD  VS.  ROCK  ISLAND  BRIDGE  CO.     185 

At  this  point  the  court  adjourned,  and  on  the  following 
day,  shown  by  the  record  to  be  Wednesday,  September  23, 
1857,  Lincoln  resumed  his  argument  assuring  the  court 
that  he  would  conclude  as  soon  as  possible.  From  the  model 
of  a  boat  he  explained  where  the  splash  door  is  just  behind 
the  wheel,  adding  that  the  current  as  represented  would 
drive  an  ascending  boat  to  the  long  pier,  but  not  to  the 
short  pier  as  the  other  side  had  contended.  Continuing  his 
argument  he  said: 

The  boat  struck  on  the  lower  shoulder  of  the  short  pier,  as 
she  swung  around,  in  the  splash  door;  then  as  she  went  on 
around  she  struck  the  point  or  end  of  the  pier  where  she  rested. 
Her  engineers  say  the  starboard  then  was  rushing  around  rap- 
idly. Then  the  boat  must  have  struck  the  upper  point  of  the 
pier  so  far  back  as  not  to  disturb  the  wheel.  It  is  forty  feet  from 
the  stern  of  the  Afton  to  the  splash  door  and  thus  it  appears 
that  she  had  but  forty  feet  to  go  to  clear  the  pier.  How  was  it 
that  the  Afton  with  all  her  power  flanked  over  from  the  channel 
to  the  short  pier  without  moving  one  foot  ahead?  Suppose  she 
was  in  the  middle  of  the  draw,  her  wheel  would  have  been  thirty- 
one  feet  from  the  short  pier.  The  reason  she  went  over  thus  is 
her  starboard  wheel  was  not  working.  I  shall  try  to  establish 
the  fact  that  the  wheel  was  not  running  and  that  after  she 
struck  she  went  ahead  on  this  same  wheel.  Upon  the  last  point 
the  witnesses  agree  that  the  starboard  wheel  was  running  after 
she  struck  and  no  witnesses  say  that  it  was  running  while  she 
was  out  in  the  draw  flanking  over. 

Other  witnesses  show  that  the  captain  said  something  of  the 
machinery  of  the  wheel  and  the  inference  is  that  he  knew  the 
wheel  was  not  working.  The  pilot  says  he  ordered  the  engineers 
to  back  her  up.  The  engineers  differ  from  him  and  said  they  kept 
on  going  ahead.  The  bow  was  so  swung  that  the  current  pressed 
it  over;  the  pilot  pressed  the  stern  over  with  the  rudder,  though 
not  so  fast  but  that  the  bow  gained  on  it,  and  only  one  wheel 
being  in  motion,  the  boat  nearly  stood  still,  so  far  as  motion  up 
and  down  is  concerned  and  thus  she  was  thrown  upon  this  pier. 


1 86  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

The  Afton  came  into  the  draw  after  she  had  just  passed  the 
Carson,  and  as  the  Carson  no  doubt  kept  the  true  course  the 
Afton,  going  around  her,  got  out  of  the  proper  way,  got  across 
the  current  into  the  eddy,  which  is  west  of  a  straight  line  drawn 
down  from  the  long  pier,  and  was  compelled  to  resort  to  these 
changes  of  wheel  which  she  did  not  do  with  sufficient  adroitness 
to  save  her.  Was  it  not  her  own  fault  that  she  entered  wrong,  so 
far  wrong  that  she  never  got  right?  Is  the  defense  to  blame  for 
that? 

At  this  point  Lincoln  unbent  slightly  and  indulged  in  a 
brief  witticism,  a  thing  he  rarely  attempted  in  public  save 
occasionally  in  a  talk  to  a  country  jury. 

For  several  days  we  were  entertained  with  depositions  about 
boats  "smelling  a  bar."  Why,  then,  did  the  Afton  after  she  had 
come  up  smelling  so  close  to  the  long  pier  sheer  off  so  strangely  ? 
When  she  had  got  to  the  center  of  the  very  nose  she  was  smell- 
ing, she  seemed  suddenly  to  have  lost  her  sense  of  smell  and  to 
have  flanked  over  to  the  short  pier. 

It  is  suggested  as  a  way  out  of  the  difficulty  that  a  tunnel  be 
built  under  the  river;  but  that  is  not  practicable,  for  there  is  not 
a  tunnel  that  is  a  successful  project  in  this  world.  A  suspension 
bridge  cannot  be  built  so  high  but  that  the  chimneys  of  the  boats 
will  grow  up  till  they  cannot  pass.  The  steamboat  men  will  take 
pains  to  make  them  grow.  The  cars  of  a  railroad  cannot  with- 
out immense  expense  rise  high  enough  to  get  even  with  a  sus- 
pension bridge  or  go  low  enough  to  get  through  a  tunnel;  such 
expense  is  unreasonable. 

The  plaintiffs  have  to  establish  that  the  bridge  is  a  material 
obstruction  and  that  they  have  managed  their  boat  with  rea- 
sonable care  and  skill.  As  to  the  last  point  high  winds  have 
nothing  to  do  with  it,  for  it  was  not  a  windy  day.  They  must 
show  due  skill  and  care.  Difficulties  going  downstream  will  not 
do;  for  they  were  going  upstream.  Difficulties  with  barges  in  tow 
have  nothing  to  do  with  the  accidents,  for  they  had  no  barge. 

Here  Lincoln  paused,  but  whether  due  to  a  suggestion 
or  intimation  from  the  court  we  do  not  know.  At  any 
rate,  fixing  his  eyes  on  the  jury  he  said: 


WHAT  HE  THOUGHT  OF  JUDGE  McLEAN    187 

Gentlemen,  I  have  not  exhausted  my  stock  of  information 
and  there  are  more  things  I  could  suggest  regarding  this  case, 
but  as  I  have  doubtless  used  up  my  time,  I  presume  I  had  better 
close. 

In  due  time  Judge  McLean  delivered  his  charge  to  the 
jury  and  they  retired.  At  eight  o'clock  they  returned  with 
the  report  that  they  were  unable  to  agree.  The  court,  be- 
lieving that  even  if  given  more  time  they  would  never  agree, 
dismissed  them.  They  stood:  three  for  the  boat  and  nine 
for  Lincoln's  clients,  the  bridge  people. 

In  September,  two  years  before  this,  the  noted  McCor- 
mick  w.Manny  patent  infringement  was  tried  before  Judge 
McLean  in  the  United  States  Circuit  Court  in  Cincinnati. 
Lincoln  was  present  having  been  retained  by  the  defend- 
ant Manny.  It  will  be  recalled  that  owing  to  the  determi- 
nation of  his  associates,  Edwin  M.  Stanton  and  George 
Harding,  of  Philadelphia,  to  make  the  two  speeches  allowed 
the  defense,  he  was  successfully  ignored.  He  remained  in 
Cincinnati  throughout  the  trial,  but  took  little  part  in  the 
proceedings.  When  he  returned  home  he  told  the  Spring- 
field lawyers,  Herndon  among  the  number,  that  McLean, 
although  of  decided  mental  vigor,  was,  nevertheless,  a 
man  of  limited  perception.  "  If  you  pointed  your  forefinger 
and  a  darning  needle  at  him  at  the  same  time,"  said  Lin- 
coln, "he  never  could  make  up  his  mind  which  was  the 
sharper." 


CHAPTER  XIV 

Life  on  the  circuit  —  The  Eighth  Circuit  described  —  Lincoln  only  lawyer  who 
traveled  over  all  of  it  —  His  horse  and  buggy  —  The  landlord's  welcome  —  Life 
at  the  tavern  —  Lincoln's  dress  —  Leonard  Swett's  introduction  to  Lincoln 
and  Davis  —  Lincoln's  methods  described  by  Henry  C.  Whitney  —  Joins 
Leonard  Swett  in  defense  of  a  murderer  —  His  record  in  fugitive  slave  cases  — 
Explanation  by  John  W.  Bunn  of  his  few  appearances  in  court  in  behalf  of  run- 
away slaves  —  Account  by  J.  Birch  of  Lincoln  lounging  in  the  county  clerk's 
office  —  Also  his  physical  appearance  and  habits  in  political  campaigns  —  The 
Wright  case  —  Befriending  the  Matheney  heirs  —  Forcing  the  foreign  impos- 
tor to  disgorge  his  gains  —  Fee  paid  by  Jacob  Bunn  and  how  Lincoln  applied  it. 

MR.  LINCOLN  always  divided  his  life  as  a  lawyer  into  two 
periods  or  epochs;  one  preceding  and  the  other  following 
his  single  term  in  Congress.  His  legal  career,  therefore, 
dates  from  the  spring  of  1849,  when,  believing  himself 
politically  dead,  he  returned  to  the  law  and  began  the  strug- 
gle in  dead  earnest  again.  His  business  was  largely  con- 
fined to  the  circuit,  a  mode  of  practice  almost  unknown  to 
the  present  generation  of  lawyers.  The  now  historic  Eighth 
Circuit  over  which  he  traveled  included  fourteen  counties 
in  central  Illinois,  comprising  eleven  thousand  square  miles 
or  almost  one  fifth  of  the  area  of  the  State. 

"For  many  years,"  relates  a  survivor  of  the  circuit  days, 
"there  were  no  railroads  and  but  few  bridges  over  the 
streams.  Courts  were  held  in  the  various  counties  twice 
a  year  lasting  from  three  days  to  a  week.  After  court  ad- 
journed in  one  county,  the  judge  rode  to  the  next  county 
seat  and  was  followed  by  the  State's  attorney,  whose  au- 
thority extended  over  the  whole  circuit,  and  by  some  of  the 
lawyers  to  a  few  of  the  counties  near  their  homes."  Mr. 
Lincoln  was  the  only  lawyer  who  rode  the  entire  circuit, 


ON  THE  EIGHTH  CIRCUIT  189 

visiting  practically  all  the  courts,  which  lasted  about  three 
months  in  the  spring  and  three  in  the  fall.  When  the  courts 
opened  in  Christian,  Menard,  and  Logan  Counties,  which 
adjoined  Sangamon,  where  Lincoln  lived,  Herndon,  his 
partner,  sometimes  accompanied  him,  but  to  points  beyond 
he  usually  drove  alone  or,  occasionally,  with  the  judge. 
While  Herndon  spent  the  greater  part  of  the  time  in  Spring- 
field in  charge  of  the  firm's  local  practice  and  to  keep  track 
of  matters  in  the  Supreme  Court,  Lincoln  was  out  on  the 
circuit  beating  the  bushes  for  more  business. 

"Most  of  the  lawyers,"  related  George  P.  Davis,  the  son 
of  Judge  David  Davis,  "rode  horseback;  but  after  a  few 
years  my  father,  who  was  the  circuit  judge,  and  Mr.  Lin- 
coln were  able  to  afford  a  buggy.  My  father,  who  was  a 
very  heavy  man,  used  two  horses.  Mr.  Lincoln  had  a  one- 
horse  open  buggy  and  drove  his  own  steed,  'Old  Buck,'  as 
I  remember  his  name.  In  the  fall  of  1850  my  mother  went 
around  the  circuit  with  my  father  and  Mr.  Lincoln  took 
me  in  his  buggy.  I  have  a  distinct  recollection  of  the  horse, 
the  buggy,  and  Mr.  Lincoln,  although  I  cannot  now  relate 
much  of  what  he  said  on  the  trip." 

Following  the  court  around  on  the  circuit  was,  no  doubt, 
one  of  the  greatest  pleasures  Lincoln  enjoyed;  in  fact,  it 
is  now  known  that  he  declined  an  offer  to  enter  a  promising 
if  not  lucrative  law  partnership  in  Chicago  after  the  debates 
with  Douglas  because,  as  he  contended,  it  would  confine 
him  to  the  office  and  thus  keep  him  off  the  circuit.  Seated 
in  his  one-horse  buggy  behind  a  sorry-looking  animal  he 
would  set  out  from  Springfield  to  be  gone  for  weeks  at  a 
stretch.  The  lawyers,  as  he  drove  into  each  successive  town, 
eagerly  anticipating  a  new  stock  of  stories,  were  anxious 


1 90  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

to  greet  him,  and  the  landlords,  so  we  are  told,  hailed  his 
coming  with  delight.  He  was  one  of  those  gentle,  uncom- 
plaining beings  whom  the  servants  at  the  inns  generally 
put  off  with  the  most  indifferent  accommodations.  He 
said  once  he  never  so  completely  felt  his  own  insignificance 
as  when  he  stood  face  to  face  with  a  real,  live  city  hotel 
clerk. 

"He  was  never,"  said  one  of  his  colleagues,  "seated  next 
to  the  landlord  at  a  crowded  table  and  never  got  a  chicken 
liver  or  the  best  cut  from  the  roast.  He  never  complained 
of  the  food,  bed,  or  lodging.  If  every  other  fellow  grumbled 
at  the  bill  of  fare  which  greeted  us  at  many  of  the  dingy 
taverns  where  we  sojourned,  Lincoln  said  nothing;  yet  he 
loved  the  life  and  never  went  home  without  reluctance." 

When  the  court  moved  from  one  county  to  another  there 
was  great  bustle  and  activity  at  each  successive  place.  Men 
came  together  when  court-time  rolled  around  to  meet  the 
celebrities  at  the  bar,  to  buy  supplies,  to  negotiate  loans, 
to  sell  live  stock,  to  hear  the  lawyers  "plead,"  and,  in  fact, 
for  almost  every  imaginable  purpose.  The  best  room  at  the 
tavern  was  reserved  for  the  judge  and  such  choice  spirits 
among  the  lawyers  as  he  might  draw  about  him.  The  other 
lawyers  slept  two  in  a  bed,  and  two  or  more  beds  were  fre- 
quently crowded  into  one  room.  At  meals  the  judge,  law- 
yers, jurors,  suitors,  witnesses,  court-officers,  and  prisoners 
out  on  bail  ate  together  at  a  long  dining-table.  "I  well  re- 
member," relates  one  of  this  promiscuous  company,  the  late 
Henry  C.  Whitney,  of  Champaign,  Illinois, "  a  term  of  court 
at  one  place  where  a  prisoner  on  trial  for  perjury  used  to 
spend  the  evenings  with  us  in  Judge  Davis's  room,  and 
another  place  where  the  prisoner,  then  on  trial  for  larceny, 


LINCOLN'S  DRESS  191 

not  only  spent  his  evenings  in  our  room,  but  took  walks 
with  us  and  ate  in  our  immediate  company." 

In  this  crude  and  nomadic  life  Lincoln  spent  almost  half 
of  each  year.  Without  the  conveniences  of  the  modern 
lawyer,  stenographer,  typewriter,  without  books  even,  he 
moved  from  court  to  court,  his  papers  in  his  hat  or  coat- 
pocket,  his  business  in  his  head.  The  consideration  and 
trial  of  each  case  began  and  ended  with  itself,  and  each 
successive  county  brought  new  business  and  new  clients. 

In  the  matter  of  dress,  when  on  the  circuit  and  away  from 
home,  Lincoln,  though  properly  clad,  was  far  from  fas- 
tidious. His  personal  habits  were  of  the  simplest  character. 
Henry  C.  Whitney,  who  was  with  him  in  the  latter  half  of 
the  fifties  hardly  less  than  David  Davis,  Leonard  Swett, 
and  Herndon,  thus  describes  him:  "His  hat  was  brown  and 
faded  and  the  nap  invariably  worn  or  rubbed  off.  He  wore 
a  short  cloak  and  sometimes  a  shawl.  His  coat  and  vest 
hung  loosely  on  his  giant  frame  and  his  trousers  were  usu- 
ally a  trifle  short.  In  one  hand  he  carried  a  faded  green 
umbrella  with  his  name,  A.  LINCOLN,  in  rather  large  white 
cotton  or  muslin  letters  sewed  on  the  inside.  The  knob  was 
gone  from  the  handle  and,  when  closed,  a  piece  of  cord  was 
usually  tied  round  it  in  the  middle  to  keep  it  from  flying 
open.  In  the  other  hand  he  carried  a  literal  carpet-bag  in 
which  were  stored  the  few  papers  to  be  used  in  court,  and 
underclothing  enough  to  last  till  his  return  to  Springfield." 

He  is  thus  described  by  the  son  of  David  Davis:  "He 
was  careless  about  dress,  though  he  was  always  clean.  I 
thought  his  clothes  were  too  short  for  him,  especially  his 
coat.  For  a  necktie  he  wore  an  old-fashioned  stiff  stock 
which  encircled  his  neck.  When  he  became  interested  in 


i92  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

his  speech  he  would  frequently  take  it  off",  unbutton  his 
shirt,  and  give  room  for  his  Adam's  apple  to  play  up  and 
down.  He  had  a  high-pitched  voice,  but  it  could  be  heard 
a  great  distance,  every  word  of  a  sentence  being  equally 
clear.  He  was  frequently  at  my  father's  house,  and  in  1858, 
the  year  of  the  debates  with  Douglas,  spent  a  long  season 
with  us.  On  one  of  his  visits  I  had  a  new  autograph  album 
in  which  he  wrote  as  follows:  'My  young  friend  George 
Perrin  Davis  has  allowed  me  the  honor  of  being  the  first 
to  write  his  name  in  this  book.  A.  Lincoln.  Bloomington 
Ills.  Dec.  21  1858."* 

I  cannot  pass  from  this  phase  of  Lincoln's  development 
without  putting  on  canvas  a  copy  of  his  portrait  drawn 
for  me  several  years  ago  by  one  who  also  traveled  the  cir- 
cuit with  him  and  who  in  every  way  was  closely  allied  to 
him.  I  refer  to  Leonard  Swett.  "I  shall  never  forget,"  Mr. 
Swett  once  told  me,  "the  first  time  I  saw  Mr.  Lincoln.  I 
had  expected  to  encounter  him  at  Springfield,  but  he  was 
absent  from  home,  nor  did  our  meeting  occur  till  later.  It 
was  at  the  town  of  Danville.  When  I  called  at  the  hotel  it 
was  after  dark,  and  I  was  told  that  he  was  upstairs  in  Judge 
Davis's  room.  In  the  region  where  I  had  been  brought  up, 
the  judge  of  the  court  was  usually  a  man  of  more  or  less 
gravity  so  that  he  could  not  be  approached  save  with  some 
degree  of  deference.  I  was  not  a  little  abashed,  therefore, 
after  I  had  climbed  the  unbanistered  stairway,  to  find 
myself  so  near  the  presence  and  dignity  of  Judge  Davis  in 
whose  room  I  was  told  I  could  find  Mr.  Lincoln.  In  re- 
sponse to  my  timid  knock  two  voices  responded  almost 
simultaneously,  'Come  in.'  Imagine  my  surprise  when  the 
door  opened  to  find  two  men  undressed,  or  rather  dressed 


W 

^ 

f-l  OO 

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£  rC 


SWETT'S  INTRODUCTION  TO  LINCOLN    193 

for  bed,  engaged  in  a  lively  battle  with  pillows,  tossing  them 
at  each  other's  heads.  One,  a  low,  heavy-set  man  who  leaned 
against  the  foot  of  the  bed  and  puffed  like  a  lizard,  an- 
swered to  the  description  of  Judge  Davis.  The  other  was 
a  man  of  tremendous  stature;  compared  to  Davis  he  looked 
as  if  he  were  eight  feet  tall.  He  was  encased  in  a  long,  in- 
describable garment,  yellow  as  saffron,  which  reached  to 
his  heels,  and  from  beneath  which  protruded  two  of  the 
largest  feet  I  had,  up  to  that  time,  been  in  the  habit  of  see- 
ing. This  immense  shirt,  for  shirt  it  must  have  been,  looked 
as  if  it  had  been  literally  carved  out  of  the  original  bolt  of 
flannel  of  which  it  was  made  and  the  pieces  joined  together 
without  reference  to  measurement  or  capacity.  The  only 
thing  that  kept  it  from  slipping  off  the  tall  and  angular 
frame  it  covered  was  the  single  button  at  the  throat;  and  I 
confess  to  a  succession  of  shudders  when  I  thought  of  what 
might  happen  should  that  button  by  any  mischance  lose  its 
hold.  I  cannot  describe  my  sensations  as  this  apparition, 
with  the  modest  announcement,  'My  name  is  Lincoln,' 
strode  across  the  room  to  shake  my  trembling  hand.  I  will 
not  say  he  reminded  me  of  Satan,  but  he  was  certainly  the 
imgodliest  figure  I  had  ever  seen." 

I  attach  much  importance  to  the  recollection  and  testi- 
mony of  Henry  C.  Whitney,  who,  in  the  decade  prior  to  the 
Gvil  War,  practiced  law  in  Champaign  County,  Illinois, 
where  he  was  both  intimately  acquainted,  and,  from  a  pro- 
fessional standpoint,  frequently  associated,  with  Lincoln. 
After  Lincoln  became  President,  Mr.  Whitney  removed 
to  Chicago,  where,  in  the  eighties,  I  spent  a  good  deal 
of  time  with  him.  It  was  from  and  through  him  that  I 
gathered  a  fund  of  material  regarding  Lincoln's  life  as  a 


194  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

circuit-court  lawyer  which  has  proved  to  be  of  decided  his- 
toric value.  He  was  a  close  friend  of  Herndon,  maintaining 
that  the  latter  was  as  useful  as  he  was  true  to  Lincoln,  and 
insisting  that,  notwithstanding  his  weaknesses,  Lincoln's 
faith  in  him  remained  unshaken  to  the  last.  The  greater 
part  of  what  Mr.  Whitney  communicated  to  me  he  put  in 
writing,  all  of  which  I  have  carefully  retained. 

Among  other  things  I  remember  he  contended  that  the 
estimate  of  Lincoln  by  some  writers  who  seek  to  prove 
that,  as  a  lawyer,  he  was  in  the  habit  of  surrendering  his 
fee  and  retiring  from  every  case  in  which  there  was  any 
doubt  of  his  success,  was  a  great  popular  misconception. 
"Mr.  Lincoln  would  advise  with  perfect  frankness  about 
a  potential  case,"  he  once  said,  "but  when  it  was  in  esse, 
then  he  wanted  to  win  as  badly  as  any  lawyer;  but  unlike 
lawyers  of  a  certain  type  he  would  not  do  anything  mean, 
or  which  savored  of  sharp  practice,  or  which  required 
absolute  sophistry  or  chicanery  in  order  to  succeed.  In  a 
clear  case  of  dishonesty  he  would  hedge  in  some  way  so  as 
not  himself  to  partake  of  the  dishonesty.  In  a  doubtful 
case  of  dishonesty,  he  would  give  his  client  the  benefit  of  the 
doubt,  and  in  an  ordinary  case  he  would  try  the  case  so  far 
as  he  could  like  any  other  lawyer  except  that  he  abso- 
lutely abjured  technicality  and  went  for  justice  and  vic- 
tory denuded  of  every  integument. 

"As  attorney  for  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  I  had  au- 
thority to  employ  additional  counsel  whenever  I  chose  to 
do  so,  and  in  Judge  Davis's  circuit  I  frequently  applied  to 
Lincoln  when  I  needed  aid.  I  never  found  him  unwilling 
to  appear  in  behalf  of  a  great  'soulless  corporation/  In 
such  cases  he  always  stood  by  me,  and  I  always,  of  course, 


IN  DEFENSE  OF  A  MURDERER          195 

tried  to  win.  There  was  nothing  of  the  milksop  about  him, 
nor  did  he  peer  unnecessarily  into  a  case  to  find  some  reason 
to  act  out  of  the  usual  line;  but  he  had  the  same  animus  or- 
dinarily as  any  other  lawyer.  I  remember  a  murder  trial 
in  which  he  was  joined  with  Leonard  Swett  and  myself  for 
the  defense.  Swett  was  a  most  effective  advocate,  and  when 
he  closed  in  the  afternoon  I  was  full  of  faith  that  our  client 
would  be  acquitted.  Lincoln  followed  the  next  morning,  and 
while  he  made  some  good  points  the  honesty  of  his  men- 
tal processes  forced  him  into  a  line  of  argument  and  ad- 
mission that  was  very  damaging.  We  all  felt  that  he  had 
hurt  our  case.  In  point  of  fact  our  client  was  convicted 
and  sent  to  the  penitentiary  for  three  years.  Lincoln,  whose 
merciless  logic  drove  him  into  the  belief  that  the  culprit  was 
guilty  of  murder,  had  his  humanity  so  wrought  upon  that 
he  induced  the  Governor  to  pardon  him  after  he  had  served 
one  year.'* 

Although  humane  and  prone  to  right  a  wrong  whenever 
possible,  it  cannot  be  said  that  Lincoln  sought  cases  of 
injustice  to  remedy  or  went  out  of  his  way  to  befriend 
or  defend  the  weak  man  from  the  heartlessness  of  his  op- 
pressor. Of  course  he  opposed  slavery,  but  he  himself  was 
no  more  aggressive  in  defense  of  the  slave  than  others  whose 
sentiments  on  that  subject  were  less  widely  known.  Hern- 
don,  for  instance,  w,as  far  more  radical  and  venturesome. 
Before  me  lie  the  papers  disclosing  the  history  of  three 
cases  tried  in  the  Springfield  courts,  in  each  of  which  a 
negro  sought  to  obtain  his  freedom.  In  the  case  of  Emily 
Logan  vs.  Marcus  A.  Chinn,  venued  from  Morgan  to  San- 
gamon  County  in  1840,  the  woman  sued  out  a  writ  of 
homine  replegiando,  seeking  to  recover  her  freedom  from 


196  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

Chinn  who  claimed  her  as  a  runaway  slave  from  Kentucky. 
The  case  was  closely  contested,  but  the  jury  decided  in  the 
slave's  favor,  thus  relieving  her  from  further  surveillance. 
Stephen  T.  Logan  represented  the  defendant,  Chinn,  and 
Baker  &  Edwards  the  woman.  Another  action  which  was 
tried  early  in  1850  grew  out  of  the  detention,  in  the  Spring- 
field jail,  of  five  negroes,  three  men  and  two  women,  be- 
lieved to  be  runaway  slaves.  One  of  the  men,  called  Hemp- 
stead  Thornton,  was  described  as  a  "negro  supposed  to  be 
forty  or  fifty  years  old,  with  one  leg  off,"  and  another  one, 
"twenty-five  or  thirty  years  old,  with  one  short  leg  sup- 
posed to  be  occasioned  by  the  white  swelling."  The  women 
were  described  as  copper-colored.  By  the  order  of  J.  W. 
Keyes,  justice  of  the  peace,  the  negroes,  "being  runaway 
slaves  and  believed  to  be  without  free  papers,"  were  turned 
over  to  a  constable  to  be  placed  in  jail.  The  latter  official 
Strother  G.  Jones,  made  this  return  on  his  writ: 

Executed  by  taking  into  possession  the  within  named  persons 
supposed  to  be  runaway  slaves,  four  of  whom  escaped  from  my 
custody  on  taking  them  before  the  court  on  the  i6th  inst.,  and 
the  other,  the  oldest,  a  one-legged  negro,  was  taken  from  my 
possession  by  the  Sheriff  of  Sangamon  County  by  virtue  of 
process  from  the  Supreme  Court. 

The  proceeding  occasioned  deep  interest  among  the 
people  of  Springfield  and  a  decided  conflict  of  opinion  de- 
veloped, but  Thornton,  in  response  to  his  appeal  for  a  writ 
of  habeas  corpus,  was  taken  before  the  Supreme  Court, 
and,  the  facts  being  inquired  into,  he  was  awarded  his  lib- 
erty and  discharged. 

Another  fugitive  slave  case  was  that  of  Edgar  Canton,  a 
negro  about  fifty-five  years  of  age,  who  was  apprehended 
in  Springfield  February  n,  1860,  and  arraigned  before 


FUGITIVE  SLAVE  CASES  197 

United  States  Commissioner  Corneau,  charged  with  being 
the  property  of  George  M.  Dickinson,  of  Shelby  County, 
Missouri,  from  whom  he  ran  away  in  the  fall  of  1856. 
More  or  less  feeling  arose,  and  although  it  was  contended 
that  no  proof  of  the  existence  of  slavery  in  Missouri  had 
been  offered  or  introduced,  and  the  court,  therefore,  had 
no  right  to  presume  from  historical  knowledge  that  Mis- 
souri was  a  slave  State,  Commissioner  Corneau  held  against 
the  negro,  who  had  a  wife  and  two  children  in  Springfield, 
and  delivered  him  over  to  Dickinson  to  be  transported  to 
Missouri. 

In  no  one  of  these  fugitive  slave  cases  did  Lincoln 
take  any  part,  nor  did  he,  apparently,  interest  himself  in 
other  cases  of  like  nature.  As  I  have  already  intimated,  it 
cannot  be  said  that  he  upheld  slavery,  for  we  know  he  op- 
posed it,  but  even  then  we  should  not  forget  that  he  was  a 
lawyer  and  stood  on  high  professional  ground.  An  attempt 
was  made  to  promote  the  cause  of  freedom  by  organizing 
and  maintaining  a  colonization  society  in  Springfield,  but, 
judged  by  the  local  newspapers,  there  is  nothing  to  indicate 
that  Lincoln  gave  the  movement  more  than  passing  notice. 
As  a  lawyer,  it  is  true  he  did  in  the  Bailey  vs.  Cromwell  case 
seek  to  convince  the  court  that  the  girl  in  question  was  not 
a  slave,  but  it  should  also  be  borne  in  mind  that  in  the 
equally  noted  Matson  case,  tried  in  Coles  County,  where  a 
company  of  negroes  had  been  imprisoned  in  the  jail  as 
fugitive  slaves,  he  was  still  a  lawyer  and  accepted  a  fee, 
not  from  the  negroes  seeking  their  freedom,  but  from  Rob- 
ert Matson,  who  claimed  to  be  their  owner  and  endeavored 
to  return  them  to  their  Kentucky  home. 

Regarding  Lincoln's  political  notions  John  W.  Bunn 


198  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

once  made  for  my  benefit  this  rather  pertinent  observation : 
"The  reason  Mr.  Lincoln  appeared  in  so  few  suits  in  be- 
half of  runaway  negroes  was  because  of  his  unwillingness 
to  be  a  party  to  a  violation  of  the  Fugitive  Slave  Law,  ar- 
guing that  the  way  to  overcome  the  difficulty  was  to  re- 
peal the  law.  I  have  heard  him  make  that  suggestion,  and 
I  remember  that  in  one  case  at  least  he  advised  that  a 
few  dollars  be  paid  to  buy  off  those  who  were  holding  the 
negro. " 

Elsewhere  I  have  recorded  the  experience  of  Jonathan 
Birch,  an  old  friend  of  mine  who  was  licensed  to  practice 
law  on  an  examination  by  Mr.  Lincoln  at  Bloomington, 
Illinois,  where  the  young  man  had  for  some  time  been  a 
student  in  the  office  of  his  brother,  one  of  the  promi- 
nent practitioners  of  the  place.  Mr.  Birch's  description  of 
Lincoln  as  he  observed  him  in  the  court-room,  the  clerk's 
office,  and  other  places  where  he  held  forth  while  out  on  the 
circuit,  was  to  me  an  unusually  interesting  recital.  Many 
years  ago  when  Mr.  Herndon  spent  a  portion  of  one  sum- 
mer with  me  at  my  Indiana  home,  he  and  Mr.  Birch,  who 
was  my  neighbor,  frequently  met.  I  was  present  when  they 
talked  with  each  other,  and  I  recall  that  what  Mr.  Birch, 
who  was  the  embodiment  of  truthful  and  conscientious 
statement,  said  about  Lincoln  was  verified  by  Herndon. 
Some  of  the  things  related  by  Birch  merit  repetition.  Al- 
luding to  his  observation  and  recollection  of  Lincoln  at 
Bloomington  and  other  near-by  points  on  the  circuit,  he 
said  to  me  once: 

"Having  no  office  of  his  own,  Mr.  Lincoln,  when  not  en- 
gaged in  court,  spent  a  good  deal  of  his  time  in  the  clerk's 
office.  Very  often  he  could  be  seen  there  surrounded  by  a 


IN  THE  COUNTY  CLERK'S  OFFICE       199 

group  of  lawyers  and  such  persons  as  are  usually  found 
about  a  court-house,  some  standing,  others  seated  on  chairs 
or  tables,  listening  intently  to  one  of  his  characteristic  and 
inimitable  stories.  His  eyes  would  sparkle  with  fun,  and 
when  he  had  reached  the  point  in  his  narrative  which  in- 
variably evoked  the  laughter  of  the  crowd,  nobody's  en- 
joyment was  greater  than  his.  An  hour  later  he  might  be 
seen  in  the  same  place  or  in  some  law  office  near  by,  but, 
alas,  how  different !  His  chair,  no  longer  in  the  center  of  the 
room,  would  be  leaning  back  against  the  wall;  his  feet 
drawn  up  and  resting  on  the  front  rounds  so  that  his  knees 
and  chair  were  about  on  a  level;  his  hat  tipped  slightly  for- 
ward as  if  to  shield  his  face;  his  eyes  no  longer  sparkling 
with  fun  or  merriment,  but  sad  and  downcast  and  his  hands 
clasped  around  his  knees.  There,  drawn  up  within  him- 
self as  it  were,  he  would  sit,  the  very  picture  of  dejection 
and  gloom.  Thus  absorbed  have  I  seen  him  sit  for  hours  at 
a  time  defying  the  interruption  of  even  his  closest  friends. 
No  one  ever  thought  of  breaking  the  spell  by  speech;  for  by 
his  moody  silence  and  abstraction  he  had  thrown  about 
him  a  barrier  so  dense  and  impenetrable  no  one  dared  to 
break  through.  It  was  a  strange  picture  and  one  I  have 
never  forgotten. 

"In  his  physical  make-up  Mr.  Lincoln  could  not  be 
said  to  be  a  man  of  prepossessing  personal  appearance;  but 
his  splendid  head  and  intellectual  face  made  up  in  a  large 
measure  for  all  his  physical  defects,  if  such  they  might  be 
called.  When  intellectually  aroused  he  forgot  his  embar- 
rassment, his  eyes  kindled,  and  even  in  his  manner  he  was 
irresistible.  It  is  well  known  that  he  was  more  or  less  care- 
less of  his  personal  attire,  and  that  he  usually  wore  in  his 


200  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

great  canvass  with  Douglas  a  linen  coat,  generally  without 
any  vest,  a  hat  much  the  worse  for  wear,  and  carried  with 
him  a  faded  cotton  umbrella  which  became  almost  as  fa- 
mous in  the  canvass  as  Lincoln  himself.  Late  one  after- 
noon during  this  canvass  I  boarded  the  train  at  Blooming- 
ton,  soon  after  which  Mr.  Lincoln  himself  entered  the  same 
car  in  which  I  was  seated,  wearing  this  same  linen  coat  and 
carrying  the  inevitable  umbrella.  On  his  arm  was  the  cloak 
that  he  was  said  to  have  worn  when  he  was  in  Congress 
nine  years  before.  He  greeted  and  talked  freely  with  me 
and  several  other  persons  whom  he  happened  to  know,  but 
as  night  drew  on  he  withdrew  to  another  part  of  the  car 
where  he  could  occupy  a  seat  by  himself.  Presently  he 
arose,  spread  the  cloak  over  the  seat,  lay  down,  somehow 
folded  himself  up  till  his  long  legs  and  arms  were  no  longer 
in  view,  then  drew  the  cloak  about  him  and  went  to  sleep. 
Beyond  what  I  have  mentioned  he  had  no  baggage,  no 
secretary,  no  companion  even.  At  the  same  time  his  op- 
ponent, Judge  Douglas,  was  traveling  over  the  State  in  his 
private  car  surrounded  by  a  retinue  of  followers  and  enjoy- 
ing all  the  luxuries  of  the  period. 

"It  was  during  this  canvass,  with  every  fiber  of  his  be- 
ing tremulous  with  emotion,  I  heard  him,  in  one  of  his 
speeches  denouncing  the  extension  of  slavery,  passionately 
exclaim :' That  is  the  issue  that  will  continue  in  this  coun- 
try when  these  poor  tongues  of  Judge  Douglas  and  myself 
shall  be  silent.  It  is  the  eternal  struggle  between  these  two 
principles  —  right  and  wrong  —  throughout  the  world. 
They  are  the  two  principles  that  have  stood  face  to  face 
from  the  beginning  of  time;  and  will  ever  continue  to  strug- 
gle. The  one  is  the  common  right  of  humanity  and  the  other 


THE  WRIGHT  CASE  201 

the  divine  right  of  kings.  It  is  the  same  principle  in  what- 
ever shape  it  develops  itself.  It  is  the  same  spirit  that  says, 
"You  toil  and  work  and  earn  bread  and  I'll  eat  it."  No 
matter  in  what  shape  it  comes,  whether  from  the  mouth  of 
a  king  who  seeks  to  bestride  the  people  of  his  own  nation 
and  live  by  the  fruit  of  their  labor,  or  from  one  race  of  men 
as  an  apology  for  enslaving  another  race,  it  is  the  same  ty- 
rannical principle.'  The  melting  pathos  with  which  Mr. 
Lincoln  said  this  and  its  effect  on  his  audience  cannot  be 
described." 

While  it  is  true  that  Lincoln  was  always  mindful  of  his 
prerogatives  as  a  lawyer,  and  as  a  rule  sought  to  conform 
to  the  ethics  of  the  profession,  it  cannot  be  said  that  he  was 
cold  and  inexorable  —  invariably  deaf  to  the  appeal  of  a 
human  heart.  As  he  reasoned  he  might  be  rigid  and  he 
should  be  just,  but  he  need  not  be  without  sympathy  or 
inhumane.  This  is  admirably  demonstrated  in  the  Wright 
case,  reported  by  Herndon,  in  which  Lincoln  espoused 
the  cause  of  a  widow  who  had  been  victimized  by  a  money 
shark,  recovered  all  the  damages  asked  for,  declined  to 
charge  for  his  services,  and  even  offered  to  pay  his  client's 
board  while  attending  court. 

One  incident  in  Lincoln  &  Herndon's  law  practice,  and 
which  was  revealed  to  me  by  Herndon,  brings  into  view 
so  vividly  Lincoln's  innate  honesty,  admirable  courage, 
and  love  of  fair  play,  I  feel  I  ought  not  to  omit  it.  Charles 
Matheney,  the  owner  of  a  piece  of  land  near  the  limits  of 
the  city  of  Springfield,  sold  it  to  a  woman  —  a  client  of 
Lincoln  who  lived  in  another  part  of  the  State.  In  the  deed 
of  conveyance  the  tract  was  described  as  a  given  number 
of  acres  at  a  fixed  price  per  acre. 


202  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

"Some  years  after  the  sale,"  related  Herndon,  "the 
lady  wrote  to  Mr.  Lincoln  apprising  him  of  her  desire  to 
have  the  land  surveyed  and  laid  off  into  lots.  Mr.  Lincoln 
therefore  procured  a  compass,  chains,  etc.,  and  made  the 
required  survey.  When  he  had  finished  and  was  making 
his  calculations,  he  found  that  Matheney,  the  former  owner 
through  some  oversight  or  erroneous  description  had  lost 
about  three  acres  of  land  and  that  the  woman  had  gained 
it.  He  at  once  notified  his  client  of  the  discovery  and 
advised  her  that  in  morals  and  equity  she  ought  to  rectify 
the  mistake  by  paying  to  the  Matheney  heirs  (for  in  the 
meantime  Charles  Matheney  had  died)  what  was  justly 
due  them  according  to  the  actual  number  of  acres  and  the 
price  per  acre  originally  agreed  upon.  The  woman,  prob- 
ably because  it  was  a  closed  incident,  declined  to  make  the 
desired  restitution.  Lincoln  wrote  her  again,  reciting  what, 
in  his  judgment,  was  both  right  and  equitable  and  em- 
phasizing the  additional  fact  that  Matheney 's  heirs  were 
poor  and  needy.  His  appeals  finally  reached  the  woman's 
heart  and  she  relented;  for  in  a  short  time  he  was  surprised 
to  receive  from  her  a  generous  remittance  in  satisfaction  of 
the  claim.  With  the  funds  thus  obtained  he  started  out  in 
quest  of  the  Matheney  heirs  and  never  rested  till  he  had 
located  them  and  paid  to  each  one  his  proportionate  share 
of  the  proceeds.  I  helped  him  divide  and  distribute  the 
money,  and  I  remember  the  incident  well,  especially  his 
zealous  and  persistent  efforts  to  awaken  the  woman's  sense 
of  duty  if  not  gratitude." 

An  incident  dealing  with  Lincoln's  activities  as  a  law- 
yer, and  obtained  from  trustworthy  and  unquestioned 
sources,  I  cannot  well  refrain  from  narrating;  and  yet  it  re- 


A  FOREIGN  IMPOSTOR  203 

lates  not  so  much  to  his  professional  experience  as  it  serves 
to  bring  out  the  inherent  and  charitable  forbearance  that 
oftentimes  characterized  him  when  brought  face  to  face 
with  the  delinquencies  and  shortcomings  of  some  of  his 
friends. 

An  Englishman,  who  posed  as  a  nobleman  or  man  of 
wealth  and  had  purchased  some  land  and  cattle  below  St. 
Louis,  succeeded  in  leaving  there  without  having  met  all 
his  financial  obligations.  He  reached  Springfield,  where  he 
stopped  for  a  brief  time  on  his  way  to  Bloomington.  Mean- 
while a  claim  for  a  large  sum  of  money  followed  him  and 
was  put  in  the  hands  of  Jacob  Bunn,  the  pioneer  banker  of 
Springfield,  for  collection.  Fearful  lest  the  stranger  might 
press  on  to  Bloomington  without  paying,  Mr.  Bunn  in- 
duced his  brother  John  W.,  his  book-keeper  and  assistant, 
and  Lincoln  to  keep  an  eye  on  him.  The  two  sat  up  the 
better  part  of  one  night  in  front  of  the  hotel  where  the 
man  had  lodged  with  directions  to  halt  him  if  he  should 
attempt  to  leave  town.  Meanwhile  a  rumor  was  current 
that  a  warrant  for  his  arrest  had  followed  him  from  the 
south  and  application  for  his  apprehension  or  extradition 
had  been  made  to  the  Governor.  By  this  time  the  stranger, 
realizing,  doubtless,  that  he  was  being  closely  watched,  and 
anxious  to  avoid  serious  or  embarrassing  consequences, 
called  Lincoln  aside  and  offered  to  produce  a  thousand 
dollars  provided  the  claim  against  him  was  surrendered  and 
he  was  otherwise  undisturbed.  Lincoln  conferred  with 
Jacob  Bunn,  the  offer  was  accepted,  the  money  paid  over, 
and  the  man  proceeded  on  his  journey.  After  he  had  gone, 
Bunn  asked  Lincoln  about  his  fee,  but  the  latter  declined 
to  make  any  charge,  saying  that  he  had  served  more  as  a 


204  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

detective  or  officer  than  as  a  lawyer  and  adding  that  if  at 
any  time  in  the  future  he  felt  that  he  was  entitled  to  a  fee 
he  would  make  a  demand  on  Bunn  for  it. 

"Thus  the  matter  stood  for  a  long  time,"  related  Bunn, 
"  and  had  almost  dropped  from  my  recollection  when  early 
one  morning,  before  I  had  eaten  my  breakfast,  Mr.  Lin- 
coln called  at  my  house,  reminded  me  of  the  transaction, 
and  asked  me  if  I  would  pay  him  a  hundred  dollars  and  con- 
sider it  his  fee  in  that  case.  I  complied  promptly,  assuring 
him  I  was  glad  to  do  so.  Meanwhile  I  ventured  to  in- 
quire why  he  had  delayed  asking  for  so  long  a  time,  and 
especially  what  had  prompted  him  to  make  the  demand  at 
such  an  unusually  early  hour,  reminding  him  that  he  was 
entitled  to  his  money  and  could  have  had  it  long  before. 
His  answer  was  that  he  wanted  the  money,  not  for  himself, 
but  for  another  who  was  in  trouble  and  needed  his  help. 
This  awakened  both  my  interest  and  curiosity,  whereupon 
he  explained  that  three  of  his  friends  had  spent  the  night 
in  a  drunken  spree,  had  broken  in  almost  the  entire  front 
of  a  grocery  or  saloon  and  otherwise  committed  acts  of 
such  vandalism  that  before  daylight  the  sheriff  was  forced 
to  apprehend  them;  that  they  were  then  in  the  latter's  office 
and  would  speedily  be  placed  in  jail  unless  some  one  should 
appear  and  settle  for  the  damage  done.  In  a  few  moments 
I  secured  the  money  and  turned  it  over  to  him.  He  seemed 
more  or  less  relieved,  and  hurriedly  left  to  interview  the 
sheriff  and  as  soon  as  possible  secure  the  release  of  his  err- 
ing friends.  I  did  not  press  him  for  names,  but  in  a  short 
time  learned  that  two  of  his  friends  were  the  sons  of 
wealthy  parents  and  the  third,  unfortunately,  was  his  law 
partner.  Lincoln  was  poorer  than  any  of  them,  and  yet, 


HOW  HE  USED  ONE  OF  HIS  FEES        205 

notwithstanding  their  wealth  and  disgraceful  conduct,  he 
seemed  to  regard  it  his  duty  to  crawl  out  of  his  bed  before 
daybreak  and  hasten  to  their  rescue.  I  doubt  if  another 
man  in  Springfield  would  have  done  it.  No  wonder  he 
sometimes  thanked  God  he  was  not  born  a  woman!" 


CHAPTER  XV 

How  Lincoln  whiled  away  his  spare  moments  in  Springfield  —  Places  he  was  in 
the  habit  of  frequenting  —  An  evening  in  the  office  of  Colonel  W.  B.  Warren, 
Clerk  of  the  Supreme  Court  —  Incidents  of  Lincoln's  stay  at  Urbana  in  the 
spring  of  1856  —  Stealing  the  hotel  gong  —  Apprised  of  his  vote  for  Vice- 
President  at  the  Republican  National  Convention  in  Philadelphia  —  Leaving 
Urbana  for  Springfield  —  Riding  in  the  omnibus  —  Whitney's  recollection  of 
Lincoln's  modest  fees  —  His  financial  accumulations  —  The  bank  account  of 
Lincoln  &  Herndon. 

How  and  where  Lincoln  spent  his  time  when  he  was  in 
Springfield  and  not  traveling  over  the  circuit  is  admirably 
told  in  a  reminiscence  by  Mr.  Herndon  written  and  turned 
over  to  me  by  the  latter  not  many  months  before  his  death. 
I  had  been  trying  to  learn  from  him  something  additional 
about  Lincoln's  habits,  what  he  did  when  he  was  not  in  the 
office,  whether  he  was  given  to  lounging  in  stores  or  other 
places  where  people  in  small  towns  frequently  congregate 
—  in  short,  how  and  where  he  spent  his  idle  or  unemployed 
moments.  He  said  that  Lincoln  was  never  a  lounger; 
that  prior  to  1858,  by  which  time  he  had  begun  to  attain 
more  or  less  political  prominence,  there  were  only  two  or 
three  places  in  the  business  part  of  Springfield,  outside  of 
certain  law  offices,  he  frequented,  and  even  then  his  visits 
were  never  long.  One  of  these  was  a  drug-store,  in  the  own- 
ership of  which  his  brother-in-law,  Dr.  Wallace,  was  inter- 
ested. He  also  oftentimes  stopped  in  at  the  combined  store 
and  bank  of  Jacob  Bunn,  which  place  he  passed  going  to  or 
from  his  home.  He  hardly  ever  visited  stores  to  make  pur- 
chases because  his  wife  exercised  undisputed  control  of 
that  part  of  the  domestic  economy.  But  there  was  one 


ONE  OF  LINCOLN'S  EVENINGS  207 

place  in  which,  as  a  raconteur,  he  shone  and  delighted  to 
linger,  and  that  was  the  court-house. 

"From  1852  to  1854,"  said  Herndon,  "I  assisted  Colonel 
W.  B.  Warren,  of  Jacksonville,  who  was  Clerk  of  the  Su- 
preme Court  —  in  other  words,  served  as  his  deputy,  which 
I  could  do  without  interfering  with  my  law  practice  —  and 
thus  had  an  excellent  opportunity  to  meet  not  only  the 
Springfield  lawyers,  but  those  from  other  parts  of  the  State 
as  well.  The  Supreme  Court  chamber  was  in  the  northeast 
corner  of  the  State  House,  and  adjoining  it  on  the  south  was 
the  library  where  the  lawyers  usually  studied  their  cases, 
made  their  abstracts,  and  prepared  their  briefs.  Not  all 
of  them  were  absorbed  in  study,  for  some,  less  diligent  than 
others,  chatted,  told  stories,  and  in  divers  ways  consumed 
the  time.  With  but  few  exceptions  they  drank  their  toddy, 
making  frequent  visits  to  a  jug  of  good  liquor  which  Colo- 
nel Warren  usually  hid  from  sight,  but  which  was  never 
so  cleverly  concealed  that  the  wise  ones  could  not  find  it. 

"As  a  rule  the  lawyers  who  wanted  to  study  were  at 
work  the  greater  part  of  the  day,  but  after  sunset  their 
application  gradually  slackened  and  a  good  part  of  the 
evening  was  given  over  to  social  relaxation  and  breezy 
conversation.  In  the  gathering  were  numerous  story-tellers, 
but  none  of  them  equaled  Lincoln,  who  was  invariably  the 
central  figure  and  by  far  the  most  entertaining  and  inim- 
itable performer  in  the  aggregation.  No  one  enjoyed  the 
occasion  more  than  he.  His  accumulation  of  stories  was 
both  unique  and  inexhaustible.  One  suggested  another  and 
they  followed  in  rapid  succession.  As  one  man  used  to  say, 
'Where  he  learned  them  and  where  they  would  end  no  one 
could  tell.'  Lincoln  drank  none  of  the  whiskey,  pushed 


oo8  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

aside  study,  banished  his  melancholy,  and  joined  in  the 
general  merriment.  As  the  evening  wore  on  the  lawyers 
closed  their  books,  and  one  after  another  threw  aside  their 
notes  and  unfinished  briefs.  From  now  on  everything  be- 
spoke of  fun  and  good  humor;  so  much  so,  in  fact,  that 
Judge  Caton  and  some  of  his  colleagues  on  the  bench  would 
quit  the  room  in  which  they  had  been  studying  or  consult- 
ing, and,  one  after  another,  slyly  slip  into  the  library  so  as 
not  to  miss  the  stream  of  amusing  recitals  which  they 
knew  Lincoln  would  be  pouring  out  for  the  delight  and 
entertainment  of  the  anxious  group  gathered  about  him. 
"Meanwhile  I  was  at  my  tasks,  preparing  records,  is- 
suing writs,  and  in  every  way  endeavoring  to  assist  Colo- 
nel Warren;  but  often  my  progress  was  provokingly  slow, 
for  these  gatherings  rarely  adjourned  before  midnight,  and 
occasionally,  especially  if  Lincoln  chanced  to  be  in  good 
trim  and  the  supply  of  good  cheer  in  that  memorable  jug 
had  not  run  out,  continuing  still  later.  Sometimes  after 
one  of  these  festive  and  companionable  evenings  Lincoln 
and  I  would  leave  for  our  homes  at  the  same  time  walking  to 
a  certain  spot  where  our  paths  diverged.  I  recall  one  occa- 
sion. It  was  much  past  midnight  and  Lincoln  was  still  jolfy 
and  bubbling  over  with  the  merriment  and  amusing  inci- 
dents of  the  evening.  Joyous  and  light-hearted,  free  from 
the  look  of  dejection  which  so  often  beclouded  his  face,  I 
believe  I  never  saw  him  in  happier  spirits.  Presently  we 
reached  the  corner  where  we  separated,  each  headed  for  his 
home.  In  a  few  minutes  Lincoln  would  reach  the  two-story 
frame  house  at  the  corner  of  Eighth  and  Jackson  Streets, 
and  I  confess  I  tried  to  picture  to  myself  his  changed  atti- 
tude and  expression  and  the  scene  that  would  ensue  after  he 


AT  URBANA  IN  1856  209 

had  crossed  his  threshold  at  that  unseemly  hour  and  un- 
dertook to  square  himself  with  that  capricious  little  wife 
whose  chief  asset  was  a  piercing  voice  and  a  fiery  temper." 

By  the  time  1856  rolled  around,  the  calls  for  Lincoln  to 
take  part  in  the  political  campaign  of  that  year  became 
so  numerous  and  persistent  that  his  friends  began  to  won- 
der if  he  could  afford  any  longer  to  ignore  the  demand.  He 
was  still  actively  engaged  in  his  chosen  profession,  but  there 
was  a  charm  about  the  attrition  of  a  political  campaign 
which  he  was  daily  finding  it  more  difficult  to  resist.  At  the 
Republican  National  Convention,  which  was  held  in  Phil- 
adelphia that  year,  he  received  no  votes  for  Vice-Pres- 
ident, a  fact  which  serves  to  indicate  that  he  was  growing 
in  popular  favor.  At  the  very  time  the  convention  met, 
Lincoln  was  at  the  town  of  Urbana,  Illinois,  attending 
an  extra  session  of  the  Circuit  Court.  Henry  C.  Whitney 
who,  with  David  Davis  and  Leonard  Swett,  was  oftener 
and  longer  with  Lincoln  while  making  the  rounds  of  the 
circuit  than  any  one  else,  told  me  once  a  reminiscence  of  the 
court  at  Urbana  at  this  time,  well  worth  recording. 

"Judge  Davis,"  said  Whitney,  "held  the  court,  and  Lin- 
coln, who  had  two  or  three  cases  to  try,  was  there  also.  At 
the  judge's  request  I  secured  a  room  for  him,  also  for  Lin- 
coln and  myself,  at  the  American  House,  a  primitive  hos- 
telry kept  by  one  John  Dunaway.  The  building  had  three 
front  entrances  from  the  street,  but  not  a  single  hall  down- 
stairs; one  of  these  entrances  led  directly  into  the  ladies' 
parlor,  and  from  it  an  entrance  was  obtained  to  the  dining- 
room  and  from  another  corner  a  flight  of  stairs  conducted 
us  to  our  room.  Close  by  the  front  and  dining-room  doors 
hung  a  gong  which  our  vulgar  boniface,  standing  in  the 


2io  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

doorway  immediately  beneath  our  windows,  was  in  the 
habit  of  beating  vigorously  as  a  prelude  to  our  meals.  It 
was  frequently  very  annoying,  and  so  often  disturbed  our 
slumbers  in  the  early  dawn  that  we  decided  one  morning 
it  must  be  removed  or  forever  silenced.  By  a  majority  vote 
Lincoln  was .  chosen  to  carry  out  the  decree.  Accordingly, 
shortly  before  noon,  he  left  the  court-room,  hastened  to 
the  hotel,  passed  through  the  dining-room,  and,  in  a  mis- 
chievous prank,  took  the  offensive  and  noisy  instrument 
from  the  place  where  it  hung  and  quietly  secreted  it  be- 
tween the  top  and  false  bottom  of  a  center  table  where  no 
one  would  have  thought  of  looking  for  it.  In  a  short  time 
I  encountered  Dunaway,  our  host,  coming  down  from  our 
room,  where  he  had  been  and  still  was  searching  anxiously 
for  the  gong  which  some  ruthless  hand  had,  alas,  abstracted. 
I  passed  on,  and  when  I  reached  our  room  I  realized  I  was 
in  the  presence  of  the  culprit,  for  there  sat  Lincoln  in  a  chair 
tilted  awkwardly  against  the  wall  after  his  fashion,  look- 
ing amused,  sheepish,  and  guilty,  as  if  he  had  done  some- 
thing ridiculous  as  well  as  reprehensible.  The  truth  is  we 
all  enjoyed  the  landlord's  discomfiture,  and  even  Judge 
Davis,  who  urged  Lincoln  to  restore  the  gong,  was  amused. 
Presently,  however,  Lincoln  and  I  repaired  to  the  dining- 
room,  and  while  I  held  the  two  contiguous  doors  fast  Lin- 
coln restored  the  gong  to  its  accustomed  place,  after  which 
he  bounded  up  the  stairs  two  steps  at  a  time,  I  following. 
The  next  day  when  the  Chicago  paper  came  in  —  it  usually 
arrived  about  noon  —  it  brought  the  news  that  Lincoln  had 
received  no  votes  for  Vice-President  at  the  Philadelphia 
Convention  the  day  before.  The  announcement  created 
something  of  a  stir.  Lincoln  and  Davis  had  left  the  court- 


REPUBLICAN  CONVENTION  OF  1856      211 

room  and  had  gone  down  to  the  hotel,  where  I  joined  them 
a  few  minutes  later,  bringing  with  me  Judge  Cunningham's 
copy  of  the  'Chicago  Press'  which  I  read  to  them.  Of  course 
Davis  and  I  were  more  or  less  jubilant.  Alluding  to  Lin- 
coln's rude  and  undignified  prank  with  the  hotel  gong,  Davis 
laughed  and  with  harmless  irony  admonished  him:  'Great 
business  for  a  man  who  aspires  to  be  Vice-President  of  the 
United  States.'  But  the  news  of  the  honor  shown  him  at 
the  Philadelphia  Convention  made  but  slight  impression  on 
Lincoln.  Apparently  he  was  unmoved,  if  not  indifferent, 
his  only  response  being:  'I  reckon  it's  not  me.  There's 
another  Lincoln  down  in  Massachusetts.  I  Ve  an  idea  he 's 
the  one.' 

"The  term  of  court  that  week  at  Urbana  was  decidedly 
prosaic,  and  the  cases  tried,  usually  by  the  court  without 
the  aid  of  a  jury,  were  meager  both  in  amount  and  incident. 
In  due  time  Lincoln  was  ready  to  return  home.  He  had  col- 
lected twenty-five  or  thirty  dollars  for  that  term's  business, 
and  one  of  our  clients  owed  him  ten  dollars  which  he  felt 
disappointed  at  not  being  able  to  collect;  so  I  gave  him  a 
check  for  that  amount  and  went  with  him  to  the  bank  to 
get  it  cashed.  T.  S.  Hubbard  was  the  cashier  who  waited 
on  us.  I  never  saw  Lincoln  happier  than  when  he  gathered 
his  little  earnings  together,  being,  as  I  now  recollect  it,  less 
than  forty  dollars,  and  had  his  carpet-bag  packed  ready  to 
start  home." 

Mr.  Whitney,  the  narrator  of  the  preceding  incidents, 
was  one  of  Lincoln's  favorites  among  the  lawyers  of 
central  Illinois.  Judged  by  Lincoln's  letter  to  him  prior  to 
1860,  which  he  permitted  me  to  read,  along  with  other  facts 
of  equal  convincing  value,  one  cannot  doubt  that  he  en- 


212  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

joyed  Lincoln's  full  confidence.  A  native  of  New  England 
he  emigrated  to  central  Illinois  early  in  the  fifties. 

"Very  soon  thereafter,"  he  once  said  to  me,  "I  became 
acquainted  with  Lincoln.  It  was  about  the  time  of  my  first 
appearance  at  the  bar.  I  did  not  feel  the  slightest  delicacy 
in  approaching  him  for  assistance;  for  it  seemed  as  if  he  in- 
vited me  to  familiarity  if  not  close  intimacy  at  once;  and 
this  from  no  selfish  motive  at  all  —  nothing  but  pure  phi- 
lanthropy and  goodness  of  heart  to  a  young  lawyer  just  be- 
ginning his  career.  He  sat  on  the  bench  for  the  judge  a  while 
that  term;  and  my  first  motion  in  court  was  made  before 
him.  The  next  day  he  made  some  arrangements  for  his 
horse  and  buggy  and  took  the  train  to  fill  an  appointment 
farther  north. 

"I  saw  him  start  for  the  train.  He  was  obliged  to  ride 
over  two  miles  in  an  old  dilapidated  omnibus,  and  being  the 
sole  occupant  of  the  conveyance  had  somewhere  procured 
and  held  in  his  hand  a  small  French  harp  with  which  he  was 
making  the  most  execrable  music.  I  rallied  him  on  this,  to 
which,  stopping  his  concert,  he  replied:  'This  is  my  band; 
Douglas  had  a  brass  band  at  Peoria,  but  this  will  do  me.' 
He  resumed  his  uncouth  solo  as  the  vehicle  drove  off",  and 
the  primitive  strains,  somewhat  shaken  up  by  the  jolt- 
ing conveyance,  floated  out  upon  the  air  till  distance  in- 
tervened." 

The  recollection  by  Mr.  Whitney  of  the  extent  of 
Lincoln's  earnings  on  the  circuit  naturally  led  to  the  contem- 
plation of  his  financial  status  generally.  When  I  inquired 
into  that  subject  in  Springfield  I  soon  learned  that  as  cus- 
tomers or  patrons  of  the  banks  Lincoln  &  Herndon  never 
rose  above  the  lesser  lights.  As  a  firm  they  were  anything 


BANK  ACCOUNT  OF  LINCOLN  &  HERNDON  213 

but  substantial  depositors  —  in  fact,  the  balance  occasion- 
ally placed  to  their  credit  was  usually  so  meager  they  could 
scarcely  be  listed  among  the  depositors,  save  in  name.  A 
bank  attache  told  me  that  if,  in  the  course  of  business, 
Lincoln  &  Herndon  received  a  check  or  draft  it  was  rarely 
ever  deposited  with  the  bank  to  be  placed  to  the  firm's  credit 
and  drawn  upon  as  is  customary  among  bank  patrons; 
but  instead  one  or  the  other  of  the  two  constituting  the 
firm,  as  soon  as  a  remittance  reached  them,  took  it  to  the 
bank,  drew  the  requisite  cash,  and  promptly  returned  to 
the  office  to  divide  the  proceeds  with  his  partner.  It  will 
thus  be  seen  that  their  partnership,  so  far  as  the  division 
of  earnings  was  concerned,  was  settled  every  day  before  the 
sun  went  down.  It  was  a  simple  but  effective  way  of  keep- 
ing their  books  balanced. 

"While  Lincoln  and  I  were  partners,"  wrote  Mr.  Hern- 
don to  me  several  years  ago,  "we  kept  no  books  as  to  our 
partnership,  though  we  did,  of  course,  keep  due  account  of 
our  transactions  so  far  as  other  interests  were  involved. 
Lincoln  did  the  major  part  of  the  circuit  work  while  I  re- 
mained in  Springfield  to  look  after  the  local  end  of  the  busi- 
ness. Occasionally  I  was  out  on  the  circuit  with  him,  but 
never  for  long  periods.  At  such  times  all  moneys  paid  to 
either  of  us  was  immediately  divided.  What  Lincoln  col- 
lected on  the  circuit,  when  I  was  back  in  Springfield,  he 
would  bring  home  with  him.  If,  when  he  returned,  it  hap- 
pened I  was  not  in  the  office,  he  would  withdraw  from  his 
pocket-book  my  share,  wrap  the  money  in  a  paper  with  a 
slip  attached,  containing  my  name  and  a  memorandum 
indicating  whence  it  came,  and  place  it  in  a  certain  drawer 
where  I  would  be  sure  to  find  it.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  I 


2i4  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

was  in  the  office  when  he  arrived  he  would  open  his  pocket- 
book  and  make  the  requisite  division.  He  was  so  prompt 
and  his  rule  was  so  invariable  I  ventured  once  to  ask  him 
why  he  was  so  timely  and  particular  in  the  matter.  '  Well, 
Billy,'  he  answered,  'there  are  three  reasons:  first,  unless  I 
did  so  I  might  forget  I  had  collected  the  money;  secondly, 
I  explain  to  you  how  and  from  whom  I  received  the  money, 
so  that  you  will  not  be  required  to  dun  the  man  who  paid 
it;  thirdly,  if  I  were  to  die  you  would  have  no  evidence  that 
I  had  your  money.  By  marking  the  money  it  automatically 
becomes  yours  and  I  have  no  right  in  law  or  morals  to  re- 
tain or  use  it.  I  make  it  a  practice  never  to  use  another 
man's  money  without  his  consent.' " 

Late  in  the  fifties,  when  he  had  attained  the  proportions 
of  a  United  States  Senator,  Lincoln  opened  an  individ- 
ual bank  account.  He  began  to  deposit  his  personal  funds 
with  the  Marine  Bank,  one  of  the  leading  financial  con- 
cerns of  Springfield,  presided  over  by  his  old  friend  and 
client  Jacob  Bunn.  A  brief  perusal,  however,  of  such  of 
the  old  books  as  have  been  preserved  proves  that  his  trans- 
actions were  of  exceedingly  modest  proportions.  Among 
his  checks  which  were  shown  me,  one  of  the  largest — given, 
probably,  for  improvements  to  his  residence  —  did  not  ex- 
ceed two  hundred  dollars.  As  it  was  drawn  by  Lincoln 
immediately  after  the  famous  Rock  Island  Bridge  suit  it  is 
fair  to  infer  that  it  represented  a  portion  of  the  fee  paid 
him  for  his  services  in  that  case. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

Instances  of  Lincoln's  weakness  —  His  unwonted  faith  in  certain  friends  —  His 
blindness  to  their  faults  —  His  failure  to  redeem  Herndon  —  Joining  the  charmed 
circle  at  the  tavern  —  His  bland  and  inexplicable  confidence  in  the  ability  and 
moral  influence  of  Ward  Lamon  —  Appoints  him  United  States  Marshal  of  the 
District  of  Columbia  —  Lamon's  attempt  to  influence  General  Fremont  — 
Scheme  to  transport  troops  to  West  Virginia  —  The  pretended  Lamon's  Bri- 
gade —  Investigation  by  Congressional  committee  which  denounces  Lamon  in 
scathing  report  —  Notwithstanding  opposition  of  fifteen  Senators  Lincoln 
adheres  to  him  —  Mark  W.  Delahay  another  instance  of  Lincoln's  misplaced 
confidence  —  Surprise  of  John  J.  Ingalls  —  Lincoln  finally  appoints  him  United 
States  Judge  for  the  District  of  Kansas  —  Congressional  committee  visits 
Kansas  to  investigate  Delahay's  moral  and  official  conduct  —  Delahay  resigns 
to  avoid  impeachment  —  Lincoln's  appointment  of  Simon  Cameron  and  the 
trouble  it  gave  him  —  Herndon 's  letter  to  Henry  Wilson  —  Lincoln's  real  esti- 
mate of  Douglas  —  What  he  told  C.  H.  Moore  about  Douglas  —  Incidents  of 
the  joint  debate  —  The  recollections  of  Horace  White. 

No  portrait  of  Lincoln,  no  delineation  of  his  character 
can  be  deemed  accurate  or  complete  which  does  not  take 
into  the  account  certain  attributes  —  more  properly  speak- 
ing, weaknesses  —  which  were  well  known  to  many  of  his 
close  friends.  As  one  of  the  latter,  Leonard  Swett,  said  to 
me:  "If  Lincoln  had  some  faults,  we  should  not  forget  that 
Washington  had  more:  few  men  less."  It  was  the  bard  of 
Avon  who  makes  one  of  his  characters  say: 

The  web  of  our  life  is  of  a  mingled  yarn,  good  and  ill  to- 
gether; our  virtues  would  be  proud,  if  our  faults  whipped  them 
not;  and  our  crimes  would  despair,  if  they  were  not  cherished  by 
our  virtues.  ' 

This  sapient  reflection  can  most  fittingly  be  applied  to 
Lincoln.  True  his  delinquencies  were  not  glaring,  as  com- 
pared to  those  of  many  others,  but  they  were  none  the 
less  inherent  and  characteristic.  As  I  have  elsewhere 
noted,  both  David  Davis  and  Herndon  insisted  that  Lin- 


2i  6  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

coin's  wife  was  a  better  reader  of  men  and  in  some  re- 
spects a  safer  guide  than  he.  In  the  selection  of  his  as- 
sociates, those  on  whom,  when  in  doubt  or  danger,  he 
expected  to  rely,  we  cannot  avoid  the  conclusion  that  he 
was  either  so  blinded  by  his  affection  for  them  that  he 
could  not  see  their  shortcomings,  or  so  indifferent,  if  not 
perverse,  that  he  cared  nothing  for  public  opinion.  There 
is  abundant  ground  for  the  belief  expressed  by  the  late 
Horace  White  that  there  was  a  certain  degree  of  moral 
obtuseness  in  Abraham  Lincoln  which  the  public  do  not 
recognize  and  will  refuse  to  believe  in  the  present  gener- 
ation. 

Take,  for  example,  the  case  of  his  law  partner  Hern- 
don.  It  cannot  be  denied  that  he  was  conversant  with  the 
latter's  bibulous  and  unfortunate  habits.  Although  Hern- 
don  was  able  if  not  more  or  less  brilliant,  Lincoln  knew  that 
he  was  headed  downhill,  and  yet  there  is  no  evidence  that 
he  sought  to  restrain  him  or  even  criticized  him  for  his  moral 
laxity.  Advice  and  admonition  from  Lincoln  might  have 
been  efficacious  in  Herndon's  reformation;  it  undoubtedly 
would  have  steadied  him,  but  often  though  he  yielded  to 
temptation  and  fell  from  grace  Lincoln  said  nothing.  In- 
stead of  chiding  and  repelling  him  as  a  mark  of  his  disap- 
proval of  his  conduct,  Lincoln  seemed  to  cling  to  him  all  the 
closer.  He  was  ten  years  older  than  Herndon  and  knew 
that  the  latter  looked  up  to  and  believed  in  him;  he  also 
had  due  regard  for  Herndon's  ability.  On  the  whole,  there- 
fore, had  he  made  the  proper  effort,  it  would  seem  as  if  he 
might  have  saved  him.  An  instance  cited  by  Henry  C. 
Whitney  is  further  illuminative  of  Lincoln's  peculiarities. 
"He  did  not  like  the  man  regarded  as  the  best  lawyer  in  a 


HIS  RELATIONS  WITH  WARD  LAMON    217 

neighboring  county  seat,"  said  Whitney,  "nor,  for  that 
matter,  did  the  latter  like  him ;  but  a  drunken  fellow,  who 
turned  lawyer  later  in  life  and  settled  there,  Lincoln  used 
to  seek  and  play  billiards  with  by  the  hour." 

On  the  circuit  where  he  spent  half  of  his  time,  Lincoln's 
closest  and  most  confidential  friend  was  Ward  H.  Lamon, 
or  "Hill"  Lamon  as  he  was  commonly  known  to  his  asso- 
ciates. Lamon  lived  at  Danville  and  was  a  mediocre  law- 
yer. He  suffered  himself  in  later  years  to  be  advertised  to 
the  world  as  Lincoln's  law  partner  and  he  was  sometimes 
associated  in  lawsuits  with  Lincoln,  as  the  records  of  the 
courts  in  Vermillion  and  also  in  McLean  County,  Illinois, 
indicate;  but  the  partnership  was  invariably  limited  to  the 
case  in  hand.  After  the  separation  from  Stuart  and  Logan 
in  succession  Lincoln's  only  partnership  was  with  Herndon, 
who  remained  in  charge  of  the  firm's  business  in  Spring- 
field. 

When  in  his  rounds  over  the  circuit  Lincoln  reached 
Danville,  where  Lamon  held  forth,  it  was  the  signal  for  a 
jolly  if  not  uproarious  time.  Usually  after  dark  when  the 
business  of  the  court  for  the  day  was  over,  a  certain  crowd 
of  companionable  brethren  gathered  in  Lincoln's  and  Judge 
Davis's  rooms  at  the  hotel.  It  was  Lamon's  business  to 
provide  a  pitcher  of  good  liquor,  which  duty  having  been 
performed,  the  fun  for  the  evening  was  due  to  begin.  Davis 
scarcely  imbibed,  but  Lamon  and  certain  others  were  far 
more  generous  in  their  potations.  In  time  Lincoln  or  Davis, 
realizing  that  Lamon  was  "mellow"  enough,  would  ex- 
claim, "Now,  Hill,  let  us  have  some  music,"  whereupon 
Lamon  would  respond  by  rendering  the  plaintive  strains  of 
"The  Blue-Tailed  Fly,"  or  "Cousin  Sally  Downard,"  or 


2i  8  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

some  other  ballad  of  equal  interest  but  less  propriety.  Thus 
the  hours  flew  by,  and  in  proportion  as  the  fluid  in  the 
pitcher  diminished  the  hilarity  increased.  Occupying  a 
seat  in  this  charmed  circle  and  joining  heartily  in  the  rude 
and  equivocal  merriment  was  Lincoln  himself,  who,  strange 
to  relate,  never  touched  a  drop  of  the  liquor;  and  this,  as 
John  Hay  said,  "not  from  any  scruples  or  from  principle, 
but  simply  because  he  did  not  like  wine  or  spirits." 

The  confidence  and  intimacy  between  Lincoln  and  La- 
mon  began  early  and  continued  without  interruption.  Not- 
withstanding the  feeble  esteem  in  which  Lamon  was  held 
by  others,  as  well  as  the  many  things  Lincoln  himself 
must  have  known  about  him,  Lincoln  closed  his  eyes  to  the 
man's  imperfections  and  clung  tenaciously  to  him.  Noth- 
ing, it  seemed,  could  shake  his  faith  in  him.  Among  Lin- 
coln's earliest  official  acts  as  President  was  the  appointment 
of  Lamon  United  States  Marshal  of  the  District  of  Colum- 
bia, which  office  Lamon  was  still  holding  at  the  time  of 
Lincoln's  death.  In  the  fall  of  1861  Lamon  turned  up  in 
St.  Louis,  and  on  the  strength  of  his  close  relations  with 
Lincoln  attempted  to  secure  from  General  Fremont  an 
order  authorizing  a  regiment,  the  3pth  Illinois  Volunteers, 
to  be  sent  to  Williamsport,  Maryland,  to  join  the  so-called 
General  Lamon's  Brigade  in  West  Virginia  —  a  military 
organization  having  its  existence  only  in  Lamon's  brain. 
His  "unwarranted  and  scandalous  assumption  of  author- 
ity" prompted  an  investigation  by  Congress.  The  Special 
Committee  reported  as  follows:  "The  cost  of  the  trans- 
portation of  the  regiment  from  St.  Louis  to  Williamsport, 
Maryland,  would  be  about  thirty  thousand  dollars  and 
there  is  no  law  authorizing  the  transfer  of  troops  from  one 


THE  PRETENDED  LAMON'S  BRIGADE    219 

department  to  another  without  the  special  order  of  the  Sec- 
retary of  War  or  Commander-in-Chief.  Edward  Castle,  in 
charge  of  railroad  transportation  in  the  Western  Depart- 
ment, says  that  on  October  26, 1861,  Lamon  was  introduced 
to  him  as  a  brigadier-general  from  Washington,  D.  C., 
and  that  he  was  wearing  the  uniform  of  such  a  military 
officer.  Lamon's  object  was  to  have  Castle  send  him  next 
day  by  special  express  train  from  St.  Louis  to  Springfield 
at  the  expense  of  the  Government.  Castle,  who  was  much 
flattered  by  Lamon's  attentions,  ordered  an  engine  and  car 
and  took  Lamon  and  several  friends.  In  going  to  St.  Louis 
to  see  Fremont,  Castle  not  only  provided  it  should  be  free 
of  expense,  but  directed  the  express  messenger  to  'show 
General  Lamon  every  attention  and  contribute  to  his  com- 
fort.'" 

In  its  report  the  Special  Committee  insisted  that  the  re- 
moval of  the  regiment  desired  by  Lamon  had  no  other  ob- 
ject beyond  that  gentleman's  personal  gratification.  "At 
such  a  time,"  is  the  language  of  the  report,  "when  every 
dollar  in  the  Treasury  is  needed  to  crush  the  Rebellion,  we 
submit  that  thirty  thousand  dollars  is  too  large  a  sum  to  be 
expended  for  the  purpose  of  flattering  the  vanity  of  any 
single  individual.  The  removal  of  the  regiment  not  only 
without  authority  of  the  law,  but  inexpedient  and  with- 
out justification  and  thirty  thousand  dollars  of  the  public 
money  worse  than  squandered,  Lamon  had  no  authority 
to  travel  in  special  trains  at  public  expense,  and  he  should 
be  called  on  to  refund  the  amount  paid  for  special  trains 
which  took  him  and  his  friends  from  St.  Louis  to  Spring- 
field, Illinois.  If  he  should  not  do  so  the  Treasury  Depart- 
ment should  ascertain  what  the  amount  is  and  deduct 


220  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

from  his  salary  as  Marshal  of  the  District  of  Columbia. 
It  turns  out  from  a  letter  of  the  Secretary  of  War  that 
this  gentleman,  who  proclaimed  himself  a  brigadier-gen- 
eral and  who  was  wearing  the  insignia  of  that  distinguished 
rank,  had  no  such  an  appointment.  All  such  pretenses  are 
unfounded  as  was  also  the  pretense  that  the  President  told 
him  he  might  take  this  regiment.  He  seems  to  have  made 
use  of  his  official  position  as  Marshal  of  the  District  of 
Columbia  and  his  assumed  position  as  a  brigadier-general 
to  secure  his  object  of  removing  the  regiment  and  travel- 
ing in  special  trains  at  public  expense.  Instead  of  devoting 
his  attention  to  the  duties  of  his  position,  instead  of  watch- 
ing and  protecting  the  interests  of  the  Government  in  the 
sphere  of  duty  assigned  him,  he  has  been  engaged  in  the 
business  described  by  the  committee  above." 

In  January,  1862,  Senator  Grimes  of  Iowa  exposed  the 
fraud  in  a  speech  in  open  Senate,  denouncing  Lamon  so 
scathingly  that  it  caused  a  coolness  between  himself  and 
Lincoln  during  the  remainder  of  the  latter's  life.  Sen- 
ator Wilson  of  Massachusetts  said  that  Lamon  was  so  no- 
toriously unfit  for  his  office  that  he  and  fourteen  other  Sen- 
ators voted  against  the  confirmation  of  his  appointment. 
And  this  is  the  man  who,  in  February,  1861,  when  the 
President-elect  was  spirited  through  Philadelphia  on  his 
way  from  Harrisburg  to  Washington,  was,  on  account  of 
his  spotless  and  sterling  manhood,  selected  by  Lincoln  as 
his  trusted  companion  rather  than  Colonel  E.  V.  Sumner 
and  Major  David  Hunter,  military  officers  of  approved 
courage  and  high  standing  who  had  been  sent  to  Lin- 
coln by  General  Scott  for  that  purpose.  A  few  weeks  later, 
and  after  the  inauguration,  when  the  situation  regarding 


MISPLACED  CONFIDENCE  IN  DELAHAY    221 

Fort  Sumter  was  becoming  daily  more  acute,  Lincoln 
caused  Lamon  to  be  sent  to  Charleston,  South  Carolina, 
on  what  the  latter  said  was  "a  confidential  mission  of 
great  delicacy  and  importance."  Nicolay  and  Hay  say  that 
he  came  with  an  "ostensible  Government  mission,  was 
looked  upon  as  the  real  Presidential  messenger,  was  treated 
to  a  formal  audience  with  Governor  Pickens  and  permitted 
to  make  a  visit  to  Fort  Sumter,  meanwhile,  hobnobbing 
with  the  young  Secessionists  at  the  Charleston  Hotel." 

Another  notable  instance  of  Lincoln's  susceptible  na- 
ture and  misplaced  confidence  was  Mark  W.  Delahay. 
a  mediocre,  if  not  obscure,  lawyer  who,  during  Lincoln's 
earlier  years,  flourished  in  the  neighborhood  of  Jackson- 
ville and  Petersburg  in  Illinois.  Delahay  laid  claim  to  an 
intimate  personal  and  professional  acquaintance  with  Lin- 
coln, in  support  of  which  he  would  relate  numerous  stories 
to  impress  his  hearers  with  the  importance  of  that  relation. 
"  It  so  happened  that  at  my  attendance  at  court  in  Menard 
County,"  was  one  of  his  recitals,  "Mr.  Lincoln  was  ab- 
sent during  the  early  part  of  the  term,  much  to  the  regret 
of  a  number  of  young  men  who  had  been  indicted  for  play- 
ing cards  and  were  expecting  Lincoln  to  represent  them; 
but  on  account  of  his  absence  I  was  employed  to  assist  in 
their  defense.  Mr.  Lincoln's  love  of  joking,  for  which  he 
became  famous  in  the  latter  days  of  his  life,  was  quite  as 
marked  during  the  earlier  period.  He  used  to  relate  to  his 
friends  at  the  bar,  and  after  he  became  President,  some 
incidents  connected  with  my  defense  of  these  young  men. 
Sometimes  he  would  tell  it  as  upon  'a  young  lawyer'  or 
sometimes  on  'Delahay.'  The  prosecuting  attorney  in 
framing  the  indictments  alternately  charged  the  defend- 


222  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

ants  with  playing  a  certain  game  of  cards  called  *  Seven-Up,* 
and  in  the  next  bill  charged  them  with  playing  cards  at  a 
game  called  'Old  Sledge/  Four  defendants  were  indicted 
in  each  bill.  The  prosecutor,  being  entirely  unacquainted 
with  games  at  cards,  did  not  know  that  both  *  Seven-Up ' 
and  '  Old  Sledge'  were  one  and  the  same.  On  the  trial  on 
the  bills  describing  the  game  as  '  Seven-Up '  Delahay's  wit- 
nesses would  swear  that  the  game  played  was  'Old  Sledge,' 
and  vice  versa  on  the  bills  alleging  the  latter.  The  result 
was  an  acquittal  in  every  case  under  instructions  of  the 
court.  The  prosecutor  never  found  out  the  dodge  until  the 
trials  were  over  and  immense  fun  and  rejoicing  were  in- 
dulged in  as  the  result." 

Late  in  the  fifties  Delahay  turned  up  in  Kansas,  where 
he  became  more  or  less  conspicuous  in  the  politics  of  that 
locality.  He  was  a  candidate  or  applicant  for  almost  every 
office  from  county  surveyor  to  United  States  Senator.  In 
1859  Lincoln  visited  Kansas  and  made  a  few  speeches 
there,  being  for  a  time  a  guest  at  Delahay's  home.  This  so 
stimulated  the  latter's  confidence  in  his  own  importance 
that  he  tried,  unsuccessfully,  to  be  chosen  a  delegate  from 
Kansas  to  the  Chicago  Convention  in  1860.  He  had  di- 
vulged to  Lincoln  his  ambition  in  that  direction,  but  he 
was  so  impecunious  he  was  unable  to  bear  the  expense  of 
a  trip  to  Chicago,  and  after  Lincoln's  death  a  letter  was 
found,  written  by  him  to  Delahay,  in  which  he  offered 
to  furnish  him  a  hundred  dollars  for  that  purpose.  Lin- 
coln's faith  in  the  man  continued  unabated,  a  fact  dem- 
onstrated by  another  letter  of  Lincoln  written  in  March, 
1861,  less  than  ten  days  after  his  inauguration  as  President. 
It  was  addressed  to  Delahay  and  virtually  turned  over  to 


SURPRISE  OF  JOHN  J.  INGALLS          223 

him  the  federal  patronage  of  Kansas,  a  proposition  which 
so  profoundly  awakened  the  interest  of  the  late  Senator 
John  J.  Ingalls  of  that  State  that  he  visited  me  at  my  home 
several  years  ago  in  an  endeavor,  as  he  claimed,  to  learn  the 
truth  regarding  the  story.  "I  knew  Delahay  well,"  said 
Ingalls,  "but  he  was  so  weak  and  debased  I  cannot  think 
that  Lincoln,  who  also  knew  him,  believed  in  or  trusted 
him."  Convinced  that  Ingalls  questioned  the  current  story, 
I  withdrew  from  the  place  where  it  had  been  stored  Lin- 
coln's original  letter  to  Delahay  and  gave  it  to  Ingalls  to 
read.  I  shall  never  forget  the  look  of  astonishment  that 
spread  over  his  face  as  he  read  it. 

In  1859  Delahay  aspired  to  a  seat  in  the  United  States 
Senate  from  Kansas  and  promptly  invoked  Lincoln's  aid. 
He  evidently  wanted  Lincoln  to  intercede  with  General 
James  H.  Lane  in  his  behalf.  Instead  of  approaching  Lane 
directly,  as  Delahay  asked,  Lincoln  sought  to  accomplish 
the  desired  end  by  a  somewhat  circuitous,  but  equally 
effective  route.  He  wrote  Delahay  a  letter  in  which  he 
committed  himself  to  his  candidacy,  at  the  same  time  tell- 
ing him  he  might  show  the  letter  to  General  Lane  and  thus 
gain  the  latter's  support  —  a  suggestive  specimen  of  Lin- 
coln's subtlety  as  a  politician.  In  April,  1861,  Lincoln  ap- 
pointed Delahay  Surveyor-General  of  Kansas  and  Ne- 
braska, which  office  he  seems  to  have  filled  till  October  5, 
1863,  when  Lincoln  appointed  him  United  States  Dis- 
trict Judge  for  Kansas.  His  daughter,  Mary  E.  Delahay, 
is  authority  for  the  statement  that  Lincoln  offered  to 
appoint  him  Minister  to  Chile,  which  post  he  declined. 
But  despite  his  political  ambition,  his  ability  and  preten- 
sions, Delahay  was  both  debased  and  corrupt.  It  is  hard 


224  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

to  believe  that  Lincoln  was  not  aware  of  it,  for  eventually 
Delahay's  conduct  became  so  flagrant  and  notorious  that 
a  committee  of  the  lower  House  of  Congress  at  Washington, 
consisting  of  Messrs.  Bingham  of  Ohio,  Butler  of  Massachu- 
setts, Mercer  of  Pennsylvania,  Peters  of  Maine,  Wilson 
and  Voorhees  of  Indiana,  and  Eldredge  of  Wisconsin,  were 
appointed  to  impeach  him.  The  committee  journeyed  to 
Kansas,  where  it  examined  numerous  witnesses  and  other- 
wise endeavored  to  investigate  the  record  and  conduct  of 
the  accused  judge. 

The  testimony  showed  that  Delahay  was  a  confirmed 
drunkard  and  frequently  sat  on  the  bench  and  presided 
at  trials  in  a  maudlin,  befuddled  condition.  In  some  in- 
stances at  the  hotel  and  other  public  places  where  he  ap- 
peared he  reeled  and  had  to  be  assisted  in  moving  from  one 
point  to  another.  He  even  staggered  on  one  occasion  in  an 
attempt  to  cross  the  floor  of  the  court-room  and  he  was 
drunk  on  the  bench  within  sixty  days  after  his  appointment 
by  Lincoln  in  the  fall  of  1863.  On  another  occasion  he  was 
sentencing  a  man  who  had  been  found  guilty  of  an  offense 
wherein  the  law  fixes  the  minimum  penalty  at  two  years' 
imprisonment  and  a  fine  of  a  thousand  dollars;  but  Judge 
Delahay  reduced  the  fine  one  half  and  refused  to  add  any 
further  penalty,  after  which  he  turned  to  the  astonished 
crowd  in  the  court-room  and  exclaimed:  "You  have  been 
a  long  time  impeaching  old  Mark  Delahay.  Now  would  be 
a  good  time  to  try  him ! "  On  numerous  occasions  he  would 
interrupt  attorneys  in  court,  admonishing  them  that  they 
must  either  "fish  or  cut  bait."  A.  L.  Williams,  the  United 
States  District  Attorney,  testified  that  late  in  the  year 
1863  Delahay  was  drunk  in  court.  When  sentencing  crim- 


DELAHAY  RESIGNS  FROM  THE  BENCH    225 

inals  he  could  not  remember  names  or  offenses  for  which 
convicted.  "I  delayed  bringing  up  defendants  for  several 
days  at  times,"  continued  Williams,  "  for  the  express  pur- 
pose of  having  them  sentenced  by  a  sober  court.  After  the 
death  of  my  father,  who  was  Delahay's  predecessor  on  the 
bench,  I  went  to  see  Lincoln  and  told  him  of  Delahay's 
unfitness.  I  also  spoke  to  several  Senators  expressing  my 
disapproval.  I  felt  aggrieved  that  the  position  my  father 
had  so  honorably  filled  should  be  occupied  by  such  an  in- 
ferior if  not  disreputable  successor." 

The  most  suggestive,  if  not  damaging,  thing  which  awak- 
ened the  doubt  and  attention  of  the  Congressional  com- 
mittee arose  from  reports  floating  about  regarding  the  dis- 
position of  what  was  known  as  the  Confiscation  Fund  — 
moneys  in  Kansas  as  well  as  other  Northern  States  be- 
longing to  Rebels  subject  to  confiscation,  and  which  were 
duly  turned  over  to  the  United  States  authorities.  In  the 
case  of  Delahay,  owing  to  his  vicious  habits  and  his  ques- 
tionable record  generally,  it  became  noised  about  that  he 
was  unable  in  certain  instances  to  account  satisfactorily  for 
all  sums  that  passed  through  his  hands.  However,  there  was 
no  legal  evidence  that  Delahay  was  guilty  of  retaining  con- 
fiscation funds,  but,  owing  probably  to  the  fear  that  the 
committee  might  strike  paying  dirt  and  in  order  to  avoid 
embarrassing  if  not  scandalous  disclosures  generally,  Del- 
ahay felt  impelled  to  act.  To  meet  the  array  of  testimony 
piling  up  against  him  was  an  ordeal  from  which  he  revolted. 
He  therefore  took  the  bull  by  the  horns  and  averted  further 
inquiry  by  resigning. 

After  Delahay  was  out  of  office  he  prepared  a  lecture  on 
Lincoln,  a  copy  of  which  I  ran  across  among  some  papers 


226  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

turned  over  to  me  by  Mr.  Herndon  several  years  ago.  I 
loaned  it  to  Horace  White,  who  read  it  and  then  wrote  me: 
"  I  thank  you  for  sending  me  Delahay's  lecture  on  Lincoln, 
which  I  have  read  and  return  herewith.  There  is  one  pas- 
sage in  it  which  would  make  a  horse  laugh  if  he  knew  Del- 
ahay  as  we  knew  him.  It  is  the  one  where  he  eulogizes 
Lincoln's  'unerring  judgment  of  men  and  his  intuitive 
knowledge  of  character.' " 

The  most  glaring  instance  of  Lincoln's  weakness  in 
judging  of  individual  men,  their  character  or  fitness,  —  in 
other  words,  his  lack  of  acumen,  —  was  the  appointment, 
knowing  his  record  and  what  manner  of  man  he  was,  of 
Simon  Cameron  to  a  place  in  his  Cabinet.  In  the  words  of 
Mr.  White:  "It  was  the  most  colossal  blunder  of  Lincoln's 
public  life  —  if  it  is  proper  to  call  it  a  blunder;  for  it  may 
have  a  worse  name  in  history  a  hundred  years  hence."  The 
Cameron  incident  has  been  so  exhaustively  dealt  with  by 
Nicolay  and  Hay  and  other  historians  of  the  Civil  War 
period  but  little  remains  for  me  to  add.  "There  is,  how- 
ever, another  fact  in  this  connection,"  wrote  Mr.  White  in 
a  letter  to  me  shortly  before  his  death,  "  which  somebody 
else  will  bring  out  in  the  course  of  historical  criticism.  That 
is  that  after  Cameron  came  back  from  Russia  Lincoln  was 
just  as  friendly  to  him  as  though  nothing  had  happened  to 
force  him  out  of  the  Cabinet.  He  appointed  him  Minister 
to  Russia  with  all  his  imperfections  in  his  head  and  received 
him  back  in  the  same  way;  and  if  I  recollect  rightly  em- 
ployed him  in  running  political  errands  just  prior  to  the 
National  Republican  Convention  of  1864.  That  I  call 
moral  obtuseness  of  the  same  kind  as  his  intimacy  with 
Lamon,  Delahay  et  al." 


HERNDON'S  LETTER  TO  HENRY  WILSON    227 

In  their  knowledge  of  Lincoln,  in  their  analysis  of  his 
growth,  his  unfolding  in  "morals  and  motives,"  no  two 
men  I  met  in  Illinois  impressed  me  more  profoundly  than 
Herndon  and  Horace  White.  One,  a  lawyer,  the  other  an 
able  editor,  and  both  so  situated  that  they  could  observe 
Lincoln  at  closer  range  than  the  majority  of  his  other 
friends,  they  nevertheless  seem  to  have  viewed  him  from 
somewhat  different  angles.  Herndon's  estimate  of  the 
President-elect  as  outlined  in  his  letter  to  Henry  Wilson 
of  Massachusetts,  in  December,  1860,  is  one  of  the  clever- 
est bits  of  character  delineation  one  is  likely  to  encounter. 
Herndon  admitted  that  Lincoln  in  his  ability  to  read  men, 
to  decide  many  of  the  questions  of  administration  or  of 
political  economy,  questions  which  no  man  can  demon- 
strate, was,  in  a  sense,  weak  and  his  friends  could  rule  him. 
"  But  when  on  justice,  right,  liberty,  the  Constitution  and 
the  Union,"  he  says  in  his  letter  to  Wilson,  "then  you  may 
all  stand  aside :  he  will  rule  then  and  no  man  can  move  him 
—  no  set  of  men  can  do  it.  There  is  no  fail  here.  This  is 
Lincoln,  and  you  mark  my  prediction.  You  and  I  must 
keep  the  people  right:  God  will  keep  Lincoln  right." 

Mr.  White  viewed  Lincoln  through  the  eyes  of  a  trained 
newspaper  student.  Being  the  correspondent  and  ulti- 
mately one  of  the  editors  of  the  "  Chicago  Tribune,"  which 
was  so  potent  a  force  in  moulding  public  opinion  during  the 
decade  when  Lincoln,  as  a  leader,  was  in  the  making,  he 
was  close  to  the  latter.  He  enjoyed  his  confidence,  fre- 
quently accompanied  him,  sometimes  lodging  in  the  same 
room,  in  his  travels  over  the  State  as  a  campaign  speaker. 
His  observation  and  judgment  of  Lincoln  are  therefore 
not  without  their  weight. 


228  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

"The  popular  conception  of  Mr.  Lincoln,"  said  White, 
"as  one  seeking  honors,  but  not  avoiding  public  duties  is 
a  post-bellum  growth  very  wide  of  the  mark.  He  was  en- 
tirely human  in  this  regard,  but  his  desire  for  political 
preferment  was  hedged  about  by  a  sense  of  obligation  to 
the  truth  which  nothing  could  shake.  This  fidelity  to  the 
truth  was  ingrained  and  unchangeable.  He  was  one  of  the 
shrewdest  politicians  of  the  State.  Nobody  had  more  ex- 
perience in  that  way,  nobody  knew  better  than  he  what 
was  passing  in  the  minds  of  the  people.  Nobody  knew 
better  how  to  turn  things  to  advantage  politically  and  no- 
body was  readier  to  take  such  advantage,  provided  it  did 
not  involve  dishonest  means.  He  could  not  cheat  people 
out  of  their  votes  any  more  than  out  of  their  money. 

"Mr.  Lincoln  never  gave  assent  so  far  as  my  knowledge 
goes  to  any  plan  or  project  for  getting  votes  that  would  not 
have  borne  the  full  light  of  day.  At  the  same  time  he  had  no 
objection  to  the  getting  of  votes  by  the  pledge  of  offices,  nor 
was  he  too  particular  what  kind  of  men  got  the  offices. 
His  preference  was  always  for  good  men ;  but  he  could  not 
resist  pressure  where  persons  were  concerned  even  though 
his  conscience  told  him  he  was  doing  wrong.  In  the  case  of 
Simon  Cameron  it  was  impossible  for  Lincoln  to  retain  him 
after  the  House  had  censured  him.  He  could  not  have  car- 
ried on  the  Government  with  such  a  burden  and  blot.  Yet 
Lincoln  whitewashed  him  by  giving  him  the  Russian  mis- 
sion, and  after  he  came  back  Lincoln  made  him  his  friend 
and  confidential  agent  in  politics.  I  remember  well  how 
Lincoln  fell  in  the  estimation  of  the  best  men  in  Congress  in 
consequence  of  his  association  with  Cameron  after  the 
latter  came  back  from  Russia." 


LINCOLN'S  ESTIMATE  OF  DOUGLAS      229 

At  this  point  in  my  story  I  hope  it  will  not  be  considered 
amiss  if  I  digress  slightly  in  order  to  comply  with  the  re- 
quest of  an  old  friend  who  earnestly  besought  me  not  to 
omit  suitable  mention  of  Lincoln's  real  estimate  or  appre- 
ciation of  Stephen  A.  Douglas.  In  order  to  obey  the  man- 
date and  quiet  the  apprehensions  of  this  anxious  old  friend, 
I  made  a  careful  and  conscientious  inquiry  and  dug  deeply 
enough  into  the  subject  to  convince  me  that,  in  so  far  as 
the  personal  relations  of  Lincoln  and  Douglas  toward  each 
other  were  concerned,  no  differences  between  them  worthy 
of  note  existed.  Moreover,  a  careful  study  of  their  famous 
joint  debate  in  1858  warrants  the  conclusion  that  in  every 
regard  Lincoln  treated  his  competitor  with  the  proper  de- 
gree of  dignity  and  respect.  I  was  always  impressed  by 
Herndon's  conclusions  regarding  Douglas.  He  said:  "He 
was  full  of  political  history,  well-informed  on  general  top- 
ics, eloquent  almost  to  the  point  of  brilliancy,  self-confi- 
dent to  the  point  of  arrogance,  and  a  dangerous  competitor 
in  every  respect.  What  he  lacked  in  ingenuity  he  made  up 
in  strategy,  and  if  in  debate  he  could  not  tear  down  the 
structure  of  his  opponent's  argument  by  a  direct  and  vi- 
olent attack  he  was  by  no  means  reluctant  to  resort  to  a 
strained  restatement  of  the  latter's  position  or  the  extrav- 
agance of  ridicule.  As  a  lawyer  I  found  him  to  be  broad, 
fair,  and  liberal-minded.  Although  not  a  thorough  stu- 
dent of  the  law  his  large  fund  of  common  sense  kept  him  in 
the  front  rank.  Usually  he  was  both  just  and  generous  and, 
so  far  as  I  knew,  never  stooped  to  gain  a  case.  Lincoln,  I  re- 
member, viewed  him  very  much  as  I  did.  Although  not  in 
every  respect  commendatory  Lincoln's  estimate  of  Doug- 
las could  not  be  called  unfair.  The  truth  is  I  recall  but 


230  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

two  men  that  Lincoln  really  praised:  Jefferson  and  Clay; 
and  of  the  very  few  I  heard  him  condemn  Douglas  was 
one.  I  remember  an  incident  in  our  office  once  when  some 
one  present  exclaimed,  'It's  a  lie,'  alluding  to  a  statement 
made  by  a  man  who  had  just  left  the  room.  'A  lie!'  inter- 
rupted Lincoln.  'Did  you  ever  read  the  "Life  of  Patrick 
Henry"?'  alluding  to  Wirt's  'Life'  of  Henry  which  some 
people  regard  as  a  great  exaggeration." 

Mention  of  Lincoln's  opinion  of  Douglas  carries  me  back 
several  years  to  a  time  when  I  was  in  the  town  of  Clinton, 
Illinois,  and  visited  Mr.  Clifton  H.  Moore,  one  of  Lincoln's 
associates  in  the  days  when  he  rode  the  circuit.  An  able  and 
successful  lawyer  Mr.  Moore  was  also  something  of  an 
authority  on  the  development  of  Illinois,  because,  during 
the  period  when  Lincoln  and  Douglas  were  contending  for 
leadership  in  their  respective  parties,  Mr.  Moore  was  him- 
self a  political  factor  of  no  mean  proportions.  An  enthusi- 
astic adherent  of  Lincoln  he  was  also  acquainted  with  and 
well  qualified  to  pass  on  the  record  and  merits  of  Douglas. 
"In  the  summer  of  1858,"  said  Mr.  Moore  to  me,  "Doug- 
las made  a  speech  at  Pontiac  during  the  course  of  which  he 
ventured  to  quote  from  Holland's  'Life  of  Van  Buren.' 
A  day  or  so  later  Lincoln  passed  through  here  and  among 
other  things  told  me  that  Douglas  in  his  speech  at  Pontiac 
had  seriously  misquoted  Holland,  a  fact  he  could  easily  es- 
tablish if  he  only  had  Holland's  book;  but  unfortunately 
not  a  copy  was  to  be  found  in  Clinton.  The  next  morning 
he  pushed  on  to  Bloomington.  He  was  still  so  wrought  up 
over  Douglas's  misrepresentation  that  David  Davis  was 
finally  induced  to  send  a  man  on  horseback  to  Springfield 
with  a  note  from  Lincoln  asking  for  the  book.  In  due  time 


INCIDENTS  OF  THE  JOINT  DEBATE    231 

the  messenger  returned  with  the  desired  volume  which  he 
turned  over  to  Lincoln,  who  took  it  with  him,  threatening 
to  confront  Douglas  with  it  at  the  earliest  opportunity." 

As  indicative  of  Lincoln's  real  opinion  of  Douglas,  Mr. 
Moore  related  this  circumstance  which  so  deeply  impressed 
me  that  I  made  a  note  of  it  at  the  time:  "On  the  day  Mr. 
Lincoln  delivered  his  speech  at  Clinton  during  the  cam- 
paign of  1858  he  was  in  my  office;  and  I  shall  always  re- 
member with  regret  one  thing  he  said  about  Douglas,  which 
was  this:  'Douglas  will  tell  a  lie  to  ten  thousand  people  one 
day,  even  though  he  knows  he  may  have  to  deny  it  to  five 
thousand  the  next.' " 

It  was  in  the  domain  of  political  agitation  that  Lincoln 
mistrusted  Douglas.  It  was  there  the  latter  manifested  his 
dexterity  and  lack  of  rectitude;  and  it  was  done  so  invari- 
ably and  unmistakably  there  is  little  wonder  that  Lincoln 
eventually  lost  faith  in  him.  It  will  be  remembered  that  in 
the  fall  of  1854  Douglas  deceived  Lincoln,  if  he  did  not 
actually  break  his  word,  when  he  journeyed  to  the  town  of 
Princeton  and  there  renewed  his  campaign,  colliding  in 
debate  with  Owen  Lovejoy,  in  violation  of  an  agreement 
or  understanding  to  the  contrary  made  with  Lincoln  a  few 
days  before  at  Peoria.  "Upon  being  charged  afterwards 
with  his  breach  of  word,"  related  Herndon,  "Douglas  re- 
sponded that  Lovejoy  ' bantered  and  badgered'  him  so  per- 
sistently he  could  not  resist  the  encounter.  The  whole 
thing,  I  remember,  thoroughly  displeased  Lincoln." 

When  I  reminded  Horace  White,  who  heard  every  one 
of  the  Lincoln-Douglas  debates,  of  the  incident  just  re- 
lated he  said:  "The  fact  I  had  in  mind  when  I  spoke  of 
Douglas's  unveracity  in  stump  speaking  was  a  statement 


232  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

he  made  at  the  Ottawa  joint  debate  in  which  he  said  that 
Lincoln  as  a  young  man  'could  ruin  more  liquor  than  all  of 
the  boys  in  town  together.'  This  was  said  in  order  to  draw 
Lincoln  into  a  personal  controversy.  Everybody  who  knew 
Lincoln  knew  that  he  never  used  liquor  or  tobacco  at  all. 
He  said  to  me  once  that  he  had  never  taken  a  drink  of  any 
alcoholic  beverage  in  the  past  twenty  years.  That  he  should 
have  been  a  drunkard  before  1838  is  impossible.  Not  only 
was  Douglas's  statement  essentially  false  as  to  Lincoln, 
but  it  would  have  been  a  true  description  of  himself  (Doug- 
las) at  the  time  of  the  Ottawa  debate.  The  fact  was  that 
Douglas  at  that  time  was  drinking  himself  to  death  —  an 
end  which  he  reached  three  years  later.  The  pen  of  the 
historian  has  not  touched  upon  that  fact  as  yet. 

"I  have  no  doubt  whatever  that  Douglas  made  that 
false  statement  about  Lincoln  to  get  a  denial  from  him 
that  he  was  a  drinking  man,  in  which  event  he  would  have 
enlarged  upon  it  and  given  particulars  which  he  could 
easily  have  invented  and  would  have  assured  Lincoln  that 
he  did  not  wish  to  injure  him,  etc.,  leading  off  the  debate 
into  a  personal  quagmire  as  was  his  habit  when  he  was  get- 
ting the  worst  of  it.  But  Lincoln  was  too  smart.  He  never 
noticed  the  charge  at  all.  So  Douglas  never  repeated  it." 

The  joint  debate  between  Lincoln  and  Douglas  in  1858 
has  been  so  exhaustively  treated  in  the  volume  issued 
by  the  Illinois  State  Historical  Library  in  1908,  and  so 
vividly  portrayed  by  Horace  White  who  heard  all  the 
speeches,  it  would  savor  of  supererogation  were  I  to  at- 
tempt a  further  or  more  comprehensive  account  of  it. 
It  suffices  to  say  that,  viewed  from  various  angles,  it  was 
one  of  the  greatest  forensic  combats  the  country  has  known. 


INCIDENTS  OF  THE  JOINT  DEBATE      233 

Having  so  effectively  demonstrated  his  ability  to  cope  with 
Douglas  in  1854  when,  to  use  a  homely  figure  of  speech,  he 
"ran  the  latter  into  his  hole,"  Lincoln  was  ready  if  not 
really  anxious  to  measure  swords  with  him  in  1858.  That 
he  was  sure  of  himself  is  illustrated  by  the  surpris- 
ingly meager  preparations  he  seems  to  have  made  for 
a  joust  with  an  adversary  as  daring  and  resourceful 
as  Douglas.  In  another  chapter  I  have  alluded  to  the 
reference-book  filled  with  sundry  notes  and  newspaper 
clippings  which  he  carried  with  him  during  the  canvass. 
Although  small  enough  to  fit  comfortably  into  his  coat- 
pocket  it  contained  all  the  ammunition  he  saw  fit  to  store 
away  and  hurl  at  Douglas  when  scheduled  to  meet  him 
in  combat.  I  once  showed  it  to  Mr.  White,  who  recog- 
nized it,  but  assured  me  that  Lincoln  was  so  conversant 
with  the  various  phases  of  the  dominant  questions  and 
otherwise  so  well  equipped  he  could  recall  but  two  in- 
stances when  Lincoln  felt  impelled  to  read  from  or  other- 
wise refer  to  it. 

The  debate  itself  was  conducted  on  an  animated  and  yet 
magnanimous  plane.  Notwithstanding  the  multitude  of 
ardent  supporters  who  gathered  about  the  speakers  and 
the  spirited  feeling  which  naturally  was  awakened,  the 
two  contestants,  as  a  rule,  kept  within  decent  and  reason- 
able bounds.  In  some  respects  it  was  a  test  of  patience  and 
forbearance  hardly  short  of  sublime.  Mr.  Lincoln  bore 
himself  with  dignity  and  composure.  His  nearest  approach 
to  an  exhibition  of  anger  or  irritation  was  at  the  debate  at 
Charleston.  There,  in  answer  to  the  "old  charge  revived 
by  Judge  Douglas"  against  Lincoln  for  opposing  the  Mex- 
ican War,  the  latter  caught  Mr.  Orlando  B.  Ficklin,  who 


234  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

was  sitting  on  the  platform,  by  the  collar  and  led  him  for- 
ward. Lincoln  was  visibly  agitated,  in  fact  deeply  aroused 
by  Douglas's  innuendo.  "I  do  not  mean  to  do  anything 
with  Mr.  Ficklin,"  he  exclaimed,  "except  to  present  his 
face  and  tell  you  that  he  personally  knows  it  to  be  a  lie.  He 
was  a  member  of  Congress  at  the  only  time  I  was  in  Con- 
gress, and  he  knows  that  whenever  there  was  an  attempt 
to  procure  a  vote  of  mine  which  would  endorse  the  origin 
and  justice  of  the  war,  I  refused  to  give  such  endorsement 
and  voted  against  it;  but  I  never  voted  against  the  sup- 
plies for  the  army,  and  he  knows  as  well  as  Judge  Douglas 
that  whenever  a  dollar  was  asked  by  way  of  compensa- 
tion or  otherwise  for  the  benefit  of  the  soldiers,  I  gave  all  the 
votes  that  Ficklin  or  Douglas  did  and  perhaps  more"  (Loud 
applause.} 

Mr.  White  further  explained  that  Lincoln,  who  was  ex- 
pecting Douglas  to  repeat  at  Charleston,  or,  as  he  termed 
it,  renew  the  old  charge  regarding  his  vote  on  the  Mexican 
War,  had  prepared  himself  accordingly.  The  "Congres- 
sional Globe"  or  some  like  public  document  contained  his 
record  on  the  subject  with  which  he  intended  to  confront 
Douglas  when  the  proper  time  came,  but  the  desired  vol- 
ume had  inadvertently  been  left  in  a  law  office  downtown 
and  about  a  mile  away  from  the  Fair  Ground  where  the 
debate  was  being  held.  A  boy  was  dispatched  thither  to  get 
it;  but  before  the  messenger  returned,  Lincoln  without 
waiting  for  the  book  became  aroused,  and  noting  the  pres- 
ence of  Mr.  Ficklin  on  the  stand  led  him  forward  and  the 
dramatic  incident  just  related  followed. 

A  glance  at  the  map  of  Illinois  will  suffice  to  convince  the 
reader  that  of  the  seven  places  where  Lincoln  and  Douglas 


INCIDENTS  OF  THE  JOINT  DEBATE      235 

were  scheduled  to  measure  swords  in  joint  debate,  Charles- 
ton, the  fourth  in  the  list,  was  the  point  farthest  east.  Con- 
sequently it  was  nearest  to  the  Indiana  line,  and  thither 
the  multitudes  from  the  Hoosier  State,  scarcely  less  anx- 
ious to  greet  the  doughty  gladiators  than  their  Illinois 
brethren,  gradually  wended  their  way.  The  newspapers  of 
the  period  report  that  among  the  crowds  which  reached 
Charleston  before  and  on  the  day  of  the  debate  one  dele- 
gation "comprising  eleven  cars  of  passengers  on  the  Alton 
road  came  from  Terre  Haute  alone."  The  leading  band  in 
the  parade  hailed  from  Bowling  Green,  also  in  western  Indi- 
ana. Three  of  the  most  adept  fife-and-drum  musicians  as 
well  as  certain  other  persons  came  from  my  own  home — the 
town  of  Greencastle,  only  a  few  miles  east  of  Terre  Haute. 
Of  the  latter  one  was  Dillard  C.  Donnohue,  a  lawyer  and 
partner  of  John  P.  Usher,  afterwards  Secretary  of  the  In- 
terior in  President  Lincoln's  Cabinet.  In  1860  Donnohue 
was  a  delegate  to  the  Chicago  Convention  and  voted  for 
Lincoln,  who,  when  he  became  President,  rewarded  him 
by  sending  him  on  a  diplomatic  mission  to  the  West  In- 
dies. In  later  years,  he  often  entertained  me  with  inter- 
esting recollections  of  the  Lincoln-Douglas  debates.  One 
incident  impressed  me.  He  related  that  while  at  Charles- 
ton he  was  a  guest  of  the  Capitol  House  where  Mr.  Lin- 
coln was  also  quartered  before  and  after  the  debate.  Of 
course  the  latter  was  always  surrounded  by  a  crowd  of 
listeners  and,  as  contended  by  Donnohue,  was  thoroughly 
out  of  patience  with  Douglas  because  of  his  conduct  that 
day.  He  made  no  concealment  of  his  indignation.  It  will 
be  remembered  that  Mrs.  Douglas,  described  by  Horace 
White  as  "  a  lady  of  attractive  presence  and  queenly  face 


236  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

and  figure,"  was  in  the  habit,  as  the  campaign  progressed, 
of  accompanying  her  husband  to  most  of  his  appointments. 
This  circumstance  evidently  did  not  escape  the  notice 
of  Lincoln,  who  doubtless  knew  the  lady  and  realized  the 
extent  of  her  influence  over  her  husband;  for  when  allud- 
ing to  Douglas  for  the  benefit  of  the  crowd  gathered  about 
him  at  the  hotel,  Mr.  Donnohue  said  he  heard  Lincoln 
make  this  statement:  "I  flatter  myself  that  thus  far  my 
wife  has  not  found  it  necessary  to  follow  me  around  from 
place  to  place  to  keep  me  from  getting  drunk." 


CHAPTER  XVII 

Lincoln  as  a  student  —  The  effect  of  a  college  education  —  Comparison  of 
John  Fiske's  and  Lincoln's  conception  of  social  evolution  —  Lincoln  takes  up 
Euclid  —  Reading  "The  Annual  of  Science" — Studying  higher  mathematics 
—  His  attempt  to  square  the  circle  —  His  self-confidence  and  secretiveness  — 
His  mechanical  bent  —  Securing  a  patent  —  Working  on  the  model  of  his  in- 
vention at  Walter  Davis's  shop  —  Explaining  it  to  his  partner  and  callers  at 
his  office  —  Preparing  his  lecture  on  "Discoveries  and  Inventions"  —  Delivers 
it  at  Jacksonville  and  Springfield  —  What  some  of  his  colleagues  thought  about 
it  —  Several  paragraphs  of  the  lecture  —  Account  by  S.  H.  Melvin  of  what 
Lincoln  did  with  the  manuscript  —  Herndon  also  enters  the  lecture  field  —  De- 
livers his  effort  entitled  "The  Sweep  of  Commerce"  before  an  audience  in 
Cook's  Hall  in  Springfield  —  What  the  "Journal"  said  about  it. 

THERE  is  no  gainsaying  the  assertion  that  Lincoln  was 
in  the  main  a  profound  student.  A  natural  logician  and 
patient  investigator  he  was  so  relentless  and  unerring  in  his 
pursuit  of  knowledge  that  the  question  naturally  arises: 
"What  effect  would  the  discipline  and  attrition  of  a  col- 
lege training  have  had  upon  him?"  I  have  met  people  who 
pretend  to  believe  that  instead  of  strengthening,  it  would 
have  weakened  him.  "If  he  had  been  trained  in  a  univer- 
sity before  his  style  of  expression  had  crystallized,"  said 
Herndon,  "his  utterances,  though  conforming  to  the  ten- 
ets of  modern  and  so-called  artistic  criticism,  would  have 
been  rounded  and  the  sharp  edges  which  so  unmistakably 
betoken  his  individuality  would  have  disappeared  beneath 
the  gloss  of  conventionality.  His  mental  evolution  was 
through  thought  to  ^Esop's  Fables,  through  these  to  gen- 
eral maxims,  from  maxims  to  stories,  jokes  and  jests;  from 
these  to  clear,  strong  Anglo-Saxon  words  of  power.  I  have 
heard  Lincoln  substantially  state  this,  including  what  he 


238  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

believed  was  the  probability  of  the  weakening  process  — 
the  methods  of  a  classical  or  college  education." 

Illustrative  of  this  element  in  Mr.  Lincoln's  makeup 
and  style  of  expression  as  compared  to  that  of  a  profoundly 
scientific  and  college  trained  mind,  attention  is  called  to 
the  "Formula  of  the  Law  of  Progress"  as  laid  down  by 
John  Fiske  in  his  book  on  "Cosmic  Philosophy":  "The 
evolution  of  Society  is  a  continuous  establishment  of  psy- 
chical relations  within  the  community  in  conformity  to  the 
physical  and  psychical  relations  arising  in  the  environ- 
ment; during  which  both  the  community  and  the  envi- 
ronment pass  from  a  state  of  relatively  indefinite,  incoherent 
homogeneity  to  a  state  of  relatively  definite  coherent  heter- 
ogeneity; and  during  which  the  constituent  units  of  the  com- 
munity become  even  more  distinctly  individuated." 

So  much  for  a  university- trained  philosopher's  concep- 
tion of  social  evolution !  But  note  how  Lincoln,  a  clear- 
headed, self-educated  man  illustrates  the  law  of  progress: 
"Many  independent  men  everywhere  in  these  States  a 
few  years  back  in  their  lives  were  hired  laborers.  The  pru- 
dent, penniless  beginner  in  the  world  labors  for  wages  a 
while,  saves  a  surplus  with  which  to  buy  tools  or  land  for 
himself,  then  labors  on  his  own  account  another  while,  and 
at  length  hires  another  new  beginner  to  help  him.  This  is 
the  just  and  generous  and  prosperous  system  which  opens 
the  way  to  all,  gives  hope  to  all,  and  consequent  energy  and 
progress  and  improvement  of  condition  to  all." 

The  failure  of  Lincoln  to  return  to  Congress  after  the 
end  of  his  first  and  only  term  in  1849  marks  the  beginning 
of  an  important  epoch  in  his  development.  Believing  he 


HE  TAKES  UP  EUCLID  239 

was  politically  moribund  and  yearning  to  broaden  his 
knowledge,  he  turned  most  heartily  to  intensive  study. 

"He  secured  a  copy  of  Euclid,"  related  Herndon,  "and 
took  it  with  him  on  the  circuit.  Of  nights  and  at  odd  times 
he  would  bury  himself  in  the  study  of  the  problems  of  the 
great  Greek  geometrician.  Occasionally  I  traveled  with 
him,  occupying  the  same  bed,  he  reading  by  the  light  of  a 
tallow  candle.  Sometimes  the  bedsteads  were  slightly  short 
so  that  his  feet  would  extend  a  trifle  over  the  footboard. 
Thus  engaged  he  would  study  for  hours.  Having  appar- 
ently abandoned  all  thought  of  ever  rising  above  the  waves 
of  the  political  sea,  he  became  not  only  deeply  studious 
and  abstracted,  but  markedly  reticent  if  not  gloomy. 

"One  day  about  this  time  I  purchased  at  Bradford  & 
Johnson's  book-store  in  Springfield  a  copy  of  a  work  called 
'The  Annual  of  Science,'  as  I  now  recall  the  name,  and  was 
reading  it  when  Lincoln  came  in  the  office.  In  answer  to 
his  query:  *  Billy,  what  are  you  reading?'  I  handed  it  to 
him.  He  looked  over  it  for  a  while  and  then  returned  it 
with  the  suggestion  that  so  far  as  he  could  observe  it  was 
constructed  on  the  right  principle.  '  Unlike  many  books  of 
its  class,'  he  said,  'it  recites  the  failures  as  well  as  the  suc- 
cesses of  life.  Too  often  we  read  only  of  successful  ex- 
periments in  science  and  philosophy,  whereas  if  the  history 
of  failure  and  defeat  was  included  there  would  be  a  sav- 
ing of  brain  work  as  well  as  time.  The  evidence  of  defeat, 
the  recital  of  what  was  not  as  well  as  what  cannot  be  done 
serves  to  put  the  scientist  or  philosopher  on  his  guard  — 
sets  him  to  thinking  on  the  right  line.'  In  the  afternoon  he 
picked  the  book  up  again  and  later  took  it  home  with  him 
to  read  that  night.  The  next  morning  when  he  had  re- 


240  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

turned  to  the  office  he  told  me  the  book  pleased  him  so 
much  he  had  decided  to  buy  himself  a  copy.  I  thus  began 
to  realize  that  he  was  gradually  being  led  to  the  study  of 
profound  questions,  for  he  was  also  steadily  delving  into 
the  mysteries  of  mathematics  and  the  abstruse  sciences.  A 
few  days  later  I  found  him  already  in  the  office  and  deeply 
engaged  when  I  arrived.  This  was  unusual,  for  I  almost 
invariably  preceded  him  there.  He  was  sitting  at  the  table 
and  spread  out  before  him  lay  a  quantity  of  blank  paper, 
large  heavy  sheets,  a  compass,  a  rule,  numerous  pencils, 
several  bottles  of  ink  of  various  colors,  and  a  profusion  of 
stationery  and  writing  appliances  generally.  He  had  evi- 
dently been  struggling  with  a  calculation  of  some  magni- 
tude, for  scattered  about  were  sheet  after  sheet  of  paper 
covered  with  an  unusual  array  of  figures.  He  was  so  deeply 
absorbed  in  study  he  scarcely  looked  up  when  I  entered. 
I  confess  I  wondered  what  he  was  doing  and  what  had  oc- 
casioned his  profound  application  at  the  office  so  early  in 
the  morning;  nor  was  my  curiosity  allayed  till  a  later  hour 
in  the  day  when  he  arose  from  his  chair,  apparently  headed 
for  the  court-house.  It  was  then  that  he  enlightened  me  by 
announcing  that  he  was  trying  to  solve  the  difficult  prob- 
lem of  squaring  the  circle.  In  a  short  time  he  returned  to 
the  office  and  resumed  his  study.  For  the  better  part  of 
the  succeeding  two  days  he  continued  to  sit  there  engrossed 
in  that  difficult  if  not  undemonstrable  proposition  and 
labored,  as  I  thought,  almost  to  the  point  of  exhaustion. 
He  talked  but  little  about  it  to  me  or  to  others,  so  far  as  I 
could  observe,  but  it  was  evident  he  was  toiling  with  all 
his  might.  I  have  been  told  that  the  so-called  squaring  of 
the  circle  is  a  practical  impossibility,  but  I  was  not  aware 


SELF-CONFIDENCE  AND  SECRETIVENESS    241 

of  it  then,  and  I  doubt  if  Lincoln  was.  His  attempt  to  es- 
tablish the  proposition  having  resulted  in  failure,  we,  in  the 
office,  suspected  that  he  was  more  or  less  sensitive  about  it 
and  were  therefore  discreet  enough  to  avoid  referring  to  it. 
"  Mr.  Lincoln  was  peculiar  in  that  he  had  absolute  con- 
fidence in  his  own  powers,  which  will  account  for  the  fact 
that  he  never  asked  for  advice  nor  sought  the  opinion  of 
another  for  his  guide.  He  was  the  most  self-reliant  man 
imaginable,  standing  by  himself,  steadfast  in  purpose  and 
idea.  You  had  to  judge  him  by  what  he  said.  The  em- 
bodiment of  honesty  he  told  the  truth  always  in  so  far  as 
he  declared  himself,  but  there  were  times  when  he  was  so 
guarded  in  his  utterances  he  apparently  talked  without 
saying  anything.  Profoundly  secretive  but  philosophical,. 
he  was  a  wily  man  in  mental  reservation,  begotten  by  the 
eternal  silence." 

Although  successful  as  a  railsplitter,  it  cannot  be  said 
that  Lincoln  leaned  toward  agriculture  or  manifested  a 
fondness  for  farm  work.  Instead  he  evinced  a  decided 
bent  toward  machinery  or  mechanical  appliances,  a  trait 
he  doubtless  inherited  from  his  father  who  was  himself 
something  of  a  mechanic  and  therefore  skilled  in  the  use  of 
tools.  It  will  be  remembered  that  it  was  during  his  journey 
homeward  from  Washington  after  the  adjournment  of 
Congress  in  1 849,  when  he  saw  a  steamboat  stranded  on  a 
sandbar,  that  he  conceived  the  idea  of  an  apparatus  de- 
signed to  lift  the  vessel  off  or  over  the  offending  shoals;  and 
later,  after  he  had  returned  to  Springfield  he  was  granted 
a  patent  on  a  device  of  that  kind  which  he  had  invented. 
"I  well  remember,"  related  Herndon, " when  Lincoln  was 


242  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

at  work  on  his  patent.  He  was  very  much  taken  up  with 
the  project  and,  for  a  time,  would  slip  away  from  the  office 
and  hurry  down  to  the  shop  of  Walter  Davis,  a  Spring- 
field mechanic,  where,  with  the  aid  of  the  latter  and  the 
use  of  his  tools,  he  gradually  constructed  the  model  and 
sent  it  to  Washington.  I  often  saw  him  tinkering  in  Davis's 
shop  and,  on  one  or  two  occasions,  owing  to  his  absence 
from  the  office,  I  had  to  go  down  there  and  confer  with  him 
regarding  matters  of  business.  When  the  model  was  done 
it  was  brought  to  the  office,  and,  with  the  enthusiasm  of 
the  average  inventor,  Lincoln  would  expatiate  on  the  mar- 
vels and  merits  of  the  device  for  the  benefit  of  the  few  per- 
sons who  dropped  in  and  were  sufficiently  interested  to 
listen  to  his  vivid  and  rosy  predictions.  Of  course  he  talked 
to  me  about  it,  and  although  I  could  not,  with  propriety, 
appear  to  ignore  it,  yet  it  was  so  impractical,  if  not  vision- 
ary, I  experienced  the  greatest  difficulty  in  concealing  from 
others  my  lack  of  faith  in  it."  Another  contrivance  which 
evoked  Lincoln's  study  and  attention  was  the  invention 
of  one  Alexander  Edmonds  and  known  as  the  Horological 
Cradle.  It  brought  on  a  lawsuit  in  which  Lincoln  was 
more  or  less  conspicuous  and  is  elsewhere  described  in 
these  pages. 

Herndon  never  gave  utterance  to  a  more  truthful  declar- 
ation than  when  he  contended  that  as  a  lawyer  and  poli- 
tician Lincoln  was  both  profound  and  successful,  but  that 
in  certain  other  respects  he  was  proportionately  weak;  and 
by  that  he  doubtless  meant  that  it  was  as  an  inventor  and 
lecturer  that  he  failed  to  measure  up  to  the  required  stand- 
ard. Lincoln's  desire  to  test  his  skill  and  ability  on  the 
lecture  platform  did  not  manifest  itself  until  after  his 


ON  THE  LECTURE  PLATFORM     243 

debate  with  Douglas  in  1858.  In  its  issue  of  February  14, 
1859,  the  "Springfield  Journal"  contains  this  announce- 
ment: "Mr.  Lincoln  delivered  a  lecture  at  Jacksonville 
last  Friday  night  on  the  subject  of  'Discoveries  and  In- 
ventions.' It  was  received  with  repeated  and  hearty  bursts 
of  applause."  On  the  editorial  page  of  the  "Jacksonville 
Sentinel"  this  notice  appeared:  "Hon.  Abraham  Lincoln 
delivered  a  lecture  on  last  Friday  evening  before  one  of  the 
literary  societies  of  the  pupils  of  Illinois  College;  subject, 
'Discoveries  and  Inventions.'  We  learn  that  the  lecturer 
drew  largely  from  his  fund  of  spicy  anecdotes  and  the  lec- 
ture proved  highly  entertaining." 

The  late  William  Jayne,  who  was  one  of  the  founders  of 
the  Phi  Alpha  Society  before  whom  the  lecture  was  de- 
livered at  Jacksonville,  told  me  that  the  audience  was 
small  and  the  receipts  at  the  door  proportionately  disap- 
pointing, a  fact  that  Mr.  Lincoln  could  not  fail  to  note. 
When  the  committee,  after  the  lecture,  met  him,  he  re- 
lieved their  embarrassmen t,  saying : ' '  Don' t  be  discouraged, 
boys.  Pay  my  railroad  fare  and  fifty  cents  for  my  supper 
at  the  hotel  and  we  '11  call  it  square."  A  few  days  later  this 
item  appeared  in  the  "Springfield  Journal":  "Hon.  A. 
Lincoln  will  lecture  before  the  Springfield  Library  Asso- 
ciation at  Concert  Hall  Monday  night  February  21  st  7.30 
o'clock.  Admission  twenty  five  cents.  Geo.  S.  Roper,  Cor. 
Sec."  —  accompanied  by  the  following  editorial  mention: 
"It  will  be  seen  by  notice  in  another  column  that  the  gen- 
tleman lectures  before  the  Library  Association  at  Concert 
Hall  this  evening.  Let  one  and  all  compliment  him  with  a 
full  audience.  His  lecture  we  are  assured  will  be  an  intel- 
lectual feast." 


244  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

Beyond  the  above  items  the  papers  of  the  period  con- 
tain no  further  mention  of  the  lecture  enterprise.  That  it 
did  not  awaken  any  unusual  degree  of  public  interest  or 
approval  and  probably  failed  even  to  meet  Mr.  Lincoln's 
expectations  is  demonstrated  by  a  letter  written  by  him, 
March  28,  1859, to  a  friend  in  a  near-by  town  in  which  he 
says:  "Your  note  inviting  me  to  deliver  a  lecture  at 
Galesburg  received.  I  regret  to  say  I  cannot  do  so  now;  I 
must  stick  to  the  courts  awhile.  I  read  a  sort  of  lecture  to 
three  different  audiences  last  month  and  this;  but  I  did  so 
under  different  circumstances  which  made  it  a  waste  of  no 
time  whatever."  In  response  to  another  invitation  he 
writes,  April  16,  1859:  "Yours  of  the  I3th  is  just  received. 
My  engagements  are  such  that  I  cannot  at  any  very  early 
day  visit  Rock  Island  to  deliver  a  lecture  or  for  any  other 
object." 

The  truth  gradually  dawned  on  Lincoln,  and  he  soon 
realized  that  of  his  many  and  varied  accomplishments 
lecturing  was  not  one  of  them;  so  also  concluded  many  of 
his  friends  and  professional  associates.  Some  of  them,  in- 
cluding David  Davis  and  Leonard  Swett,  the  latter  of 
whom  told  me  of  the  circumstance,  ventured  to  prod  him 
about  it,  but  fearing  that  he  might  be  sensitive  over  it  they 
soon  desisted.  Henry  C.  Whitney  told  me  that  on  one  oc- 
casion he  was  emboldened  to  joke  with  Lincoln  about  the 
lecture,  but  the  latter  interrupted  him,  saying  good-nat- 
uredly, "  Don't,  Whitney;  that  plagues  me."  Herndon  told 
me  that  he  went  to  Concert  Hall  in  Springfield  and  lis- 
tened to  Lincoln  when  he  delivered  the  lecture,  and  re- 
membered vividly  the  day  before  when  he  was  preparing  it 
at  the  office,  noting  down  various  items  on  stray  pieces  of 


AS  A  LECTURER  245 

paper  which  were  folded  and  reposed  in  one  of  his  pockets 
or  found  an  equally  convenient  lodgment  inside  his  hat. 
The  whole  was  finally  put  into  connected  manuscript  form 
which  he  read.  As  a  whole  it  was  in  some  respects  common- 
place, and  so  unlike  Lincoln  that  it  failed  to  draw  from  his 
friends  the  endorsement  or  applause  which  he  so  anxiously 
awaited.  Realizing  that  he  would  not  be  classed  among  the 
stars  of  the  Lyceum  he  soon  disappeared  from  the  field. 
"If  Lincoln's  address  over  the  death  of  Clay  in  1852," 
said  Herndon,  "demonstrated  that  he  was  not  a  eulogist, 
his  effort  at  Concert  Hall  in  Springfield  a  few  years  later 
proved  that  he  was  not  a  lecturer." 

Before  I  pass  from  the  subject,  and  in  order  the  reader 
may  be  his  own  judge  of  Lincoln's  fitness  and  aptitude  as  a 
platform  speaker,  I  venture  to  set  out  here  a  few  perti- 
nent facts  regarding  his  effort  on  "  Discoveries  and  Inven- 
tions" together  with  a  portion  of  the  lecture  itself  copied 
from  the  original  manuscript.  The  latter  paper  belonged  to 
the  late  Dr.  Samuel  H.  Melvin,  a  former  resident  of  Spring- 
field who  removed  to  California  and  died  there  in  1898. 
Shortly  before  his  death,  in  explanation  of  how  he  came  into 
possession  of  the  manuscript  he  made  the  following  state- 
ment: 

"In  the  month  of  February,  1861,  being  at  that  time  a 
resident  of  Springfield,  Illinois,  I  called  one  evening  at  the 
residence  of  my  friend  John  Todd,  who  was  an  uncle  of 
Mrs.  Abraham  Lincoln.  While  there  Mr.  Lincoln  came  in 
bringing  with  him  a  well-filled  satchel,  remarking  as  he  set 
it  down  that  it  contained  his  literary  bureau.  He  remained 
fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  conversing  mainly  about  the  de- 
tails of  his  prospective  trip  to  Washington  the  following 


246  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

week,  and  told  us  of  the  arrangement  agreed  upon  by  the 
family  to  follow  him  a  few  days  later.  When  about  to  leave 
he  handed  the  grip  to  Mrs.  Grimsley,  the  only  daughter  of 
Dr.  Todd,  remarking  as  he  did  so  that  he  would  leave 
the  bureau  in  her  charge;  that  if  he  ever  returned  to  Spring- 
field he  would  claim  it,  but  if  not  she  might  make  such  dis- 
position of  its  contents  as  she  deemed  proper."  (Here  fol- 
lows a  brief  account  of  Mr.  Lincoln's  assassination,  over 
four  years  later,  coupled  with  the  announcement  that  Dr. 
Melvin  was  chosen  a  member  of  the  committee  of  twelve 
Springfield  citizens  sent  to  Washington  to  accompany 
home  the  remains  of  the  late  President.)  "A  few  days  af- 
ter the  body  was  laid  to  rest,"  continued  Dr.  Melvin,  "I 
again  called  upon  my  neighbors,  the  family  of  Dr.  Todd- 
Scenes  and  incidents  connected  with  the  assassination  of 
the  dead  President  were  discussed  and  the  remark  made 
by  Mr.  Lincoln  on  his  last  visit  to  the  house  was  referred  to 
as  indicating  a  presentiment  that  he  would  not  return 
alive.  This  recalled  the  fact  of  his  having  left  his  so-called 
literary  bureau  and  his  injunction  as  to  its  disposition. 
Mrs.  Grimsley  brought  the  grip  from  the  place  where  it 
had  been  stored  and  opened  it  with  a  view  to  examining 
its  contents.  Among  them  was  found  the  manuscript  and 
attached  to  it  by  means  of  a  piece  of  red  tape  was  another 
of  like  character.  They  proved  to  be  the  manuscripts  of 
two  lectures  which  he  had  prepared  and  delivered  within  a 
year  prior  to  his  election  to  the  presidency  —  one  at  Jack- 
sonville and  a  few  days  later  at  Decatur,  the  other  at  a 
hall  in  Springfield  at  which  I  was  present.  Mrs.  Grimsley 
told  me  to  select  from  the  contents  of  the  bureau  any  one 
of  the  manuscripts  it  contained;  and  supposing  at  that  time 


•j££xf 

^^~>-*-i-4r_        l(7/7C*z~c^£Z^  Ax<X^-v~X  ^v-    t^/&~J  ^j^^w^ 

yf  . f       7 />^cr^L.  '          " 

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x^/^._  ^y-^^^^A^^^ 


PAGE  OF  LINCOLN'S  MANUSCRIPT  OF  HIS  LECTURE  "DISCOVERIES  AND  INVENTIONS" 


PARAGRAPHS  OF  THE  LECTURE    247 

that  the  two  manuscripts  belonged  to  the  same  lecture  I 
selected  them.  On  subsequent  examination  I  discovered 
that  while  they  both  treated  on  the  same  subject  (Dis- 
coveries and  Inventions)  they  were  separate  lectures. 
Twenty-five  years  later  I  disposed  of  one  of  the  manu- 
scripts to  Mr.  C.  F.  Gunther,  of  Chicago.  The  other,  it  is 
my  hope  and  desire,  shall  remain  in  possession  of  my  fam- 
ily and  its  descendants." 

Which  one  of  the  two  manuscripts  mentioned  by  Dr. 
Melvin  contains  the  text  of  the  Springfield  lecture  deliv- 
ered by  Mr.  Lincoln  no  one  at  this  day  seems  to  be  able  to 
determine.  The  manuscript  sold  to  Mr.  Gunther  has  al- 
ready been  published  and  what  follows  is  copied  from  the 
other  one: 

Beavers  and  musk-rats  build  houses  but  they  build  no  better 
ones  than  they  did  five  thousand  years  ago.  Ants  and  honey- 
bees lay  up  their  winter  stock  of  provisions  but  they  do  so  no 
wise  better  or  less  laboriously  than  they  did  at  the  dawn  of 
creation.  Man  is  not  the  only  animal  who  labors;  but  he  is  the 
only  one  who  improves  his  workmanship.  This  improvement  he 
effects  by  Discoveries  and  Inventions.  His  first  important  dis- 
covery was  the  fact  that  he  was  naked;  and  his  first  invention 
was  the  fig-leaf  apron.  This  simple  article  the  apron  —  made  of 
leaves,  seems  to  have  been  the  origin  of  clothing  —  the  one  thing 
for  which  nearly  half  of  the  toil  and  care  of  the  human  race  has 
ever  since  been  expended.  The  most  important  improvement 
ever  made  in  connection  with  clothing  was  the  invention  of 
spinning  and  weaving.  The  spinning  jenny  and  power-loom, 
invented  in  modern  times  though  great  improvements  do  not  a s 
inventions  rank  with  the  ancient  arts  of  spinning  and  weaving. 
Spinning  and  weaving  brought  into  the  department  of  clothing 
such  abundance  and  variety  of  material.  Wool,  the  hair  of 
several  species  of  animals,  hemp,  flax,  cotton,  silk  and  perhaps 
other  articles  were  all  suited  to  it,  affording  garments  not  only 
adapted  to  wet  and  dry,  heat  and  cold,  but  also  susceptible  of 


248  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

high  degrees  of  ornamental  finish.  Exactly  when  or  where  spin- 
ning and  weaving  originated  is  not  known.  At  the  first  interview 
of  the  Almighty  with  Adam  and  Eve  after  the  fall  He  made 
"coats  of  skin  and  clothed  them"  (Gen.  3:21). 

The  discovery  of  the  properties  of  iron  and  the  making  of  iron 
tools  must  have  been  among  the  earliest  of  important  discov- 
eries and  inventions.  We  can  scarcely  conceive  the  possibility  of 
making  much  of  anything  else  without  the  use  of  iron  tools. 
Indeed  an  iron  hammer  must  have  been  very  much  needed  to 
make  the  first  iron  hammer  with.  A  stone  probably  served  as  a 
substitute.  How  could  the  "gopher  wood"  for  the  Ark  have  been 
gotten  out  without  an  axe?  It  seems  to  me  an  axe  or  a  miracle 
was  indispensable.  Corresponding  with  the  prime  necessity  for 
iron  we  find  at  least  one  very  early  notice  of  it.  Tubal-Cain  was 
"an  instructor  of  every  artificer  in  brass  and  iron"  (Gen.  iv:  22). 
Tubal-Cain  was  the  seventh  in  descent  from  Adam;  and  his 
birth  was  about  one  thousand  years  before  the  flood.  After  the 
flood  frequent  mention  is  made  of  iron  and  instruments  made  of 
iron. 

As  man's/oo*/  —  his  first  necessity  —  was  to  be  derived  from 
the  vegetation  of  the  earth  it  was  natural  that  his  first  care 
should  be  directed  to  the  assistance  to  that  vegetation.  And 
accordingly  we  find  that  even  before  the  fall,  the  man  was  put 
into  the  garden  of  Eden  "  to  dress  it  and  to  keep  it."  And  when 
afterwards,  in  consequence  of  the  first  transgression,  labor  was 
imposed  on  the  race  as  a  penalty  —  a  curse  —  we  find  the  first 
born  man  —  the  first  heir  of  the  curse  —  was  a  "  tiller  of  the 
ground."  This  was  the  beginning  of  agriculture;  and  although 
both  in  point  of  time  and  of  importance  it  stands  at  the  head  of 
all  branches  of  human  industry  it  has  derived  less  direct  advan- 
tage from  Discovery  and  Invention  than  almost  any  other. 
The  plow,  of  very  early  origin;  and  reaping  and  threshing  ma- 
chines, of  modern  invention  are,  at  this  day,  the  principal  im- 
provements in  agriculture.  And  even  the  oldest  of  these,  the 
plow,  could  not  have  been  conceived  of  until  a  precedent  con- 
ception had  been  caught  and  put  into  practice  —  I  mean  the 
conception  or  idea  of  substituting  other  forces  in  nature  for 
man's  own  muscular  power.  These  other  forces,  as  now  used, 
are  principally  the  strength  of  animals  and  the  power  of  the  wind, 
of  running  streams  and  of  steam. 


HERNDON  ENTERS  THE  LECTURE  FIELD    249 

Of  all  the  forces  of  nature,  I  should  think  the  wind  contains 
the  largest  amount  of  motive  power  —  that  is  power  to  move 
things.  Take  any  given  space  of  the  earth's  surface  —  for  in- 
stance Illinois;  and  all  the  power  exerted  by  all  the  men  and 
beasts  and  running  water  and  steam  over  and  upon  it  shall  not 
equal  the  one  hundredth  part  of  what  is  exerted  by  the  blowing 
of  the  wind  over  and  upon  the  same  space.  And  yet  it  has  not 
so  far  in  the  world's  history  become  proportionately  valuable 
as  a  motive  power.  It  is  an  untamed  and  unharnessed  force;  and 
quite  possibly  one  of  the  greatest  discoveries  hereafter  to  be 
made  will  be  the  taming  and  harnessing  of  it.  That  the  diffi- 
culties of  controlling  this  power  are  very  great  is  quite  evident 
by  the  fact  that  they  have  already  been  perceived  and  struggled 
with  more  than  three  thousand  years;  for  that  power  was  ap- 
plied to  sail-vessels,  at  least  as  early  as  the  time  of  Isaiah. 

The  advantageous  use  of  Steam-power  is,  unquestionably,  a 
modern  discovery.  And  yet,  as  much  as  two  thousand  years  ago 
the  power  of  steam  was  not  only  observed,  but  an  ingenious  toy 
was  actually  made  and  put  in  motion  by  it  at  Alexandria  in 
Egypt.  What  appears  strange  is,  that  neither  the  inventor  of 
the  toy,  nor  any  one  else,  for  so  long  a  time  afterwards,  should 
perceive  that  steam  would  move  useful  machinery  as  well  as  a 
toy. 

The  criticism  of  Herndon  that  Lincoln's  lecture  was 
a  commonplace  effort  and  in  some  respects  beneath  the 
latter's  standard  of  excellence  is  hardly  warranted  and 
may  not  after  all  have  been  strictly  in  accordance  with  his 
original  estimate.  It  is  possible  Herndon  may  have  cher- 
ished the  idea  that  he  could  surpass  Lincoln's  effort  —  in 
fact,  there  is  evidence  that  he  was  so  pleased  with  his  part- 
ner's success  and  confident  of  his  own  ability  in  the  same 
line  that  he  decided  to  venture  upon  the  platform  himself. 
Accordingly  in  the  number  of  the  "Springfield  Journal" 
issued  March  15,  1860,  appeared  this  item: 

W.  H.  Herndon  will  lecture  before  the  Springfield  Library 
Association  at  Cook's  Hall  this  evening.  His  subject  will  be 


250  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

"The  Sweep  of  Commerce."  He  will  no  doubt  handle  it  in  an 
able  manner.  Let  there  be  a  large  audience,  for  the  treasury  of 
the  Library  Association  is  not  quite  full  and  every  twenty-five- 
cent  piece  left  at  the  door  of  the  hall  this  evening  will  be  so  much 
clear  gain  to  the  association. 

The  character  and  extent  of  the  people's  response  to 
Herndon's  effort  is  indicated  by  the  following  editorial  in 
the  next  day's  "Journal": 

The  lecture  by  Mr.  Herndon  at  Cook's  Hall  last  night  was 
altogether  too  good  for  the  size  of  the  audience  which  did  not 
number  one  hundred  persons.  The  subject  of  the  lecture  was 
"The  Sweep  of  Commerce"  and  ample  justice  was  done  to  it  by 
the  talented  lecturer.  We  cannot  close  our  eyes  to  the  fact  that 
a  generous  outpouring  of  people  gathered  night  before  last  to 
hear  Lola  Montez,  a  woman  who  has  violated  every  known  rule 
of  life,  mocked  the  sacredness  of  the  marriage  relation  and  pub- 
licly set  at  naught  all  that  is  beautiful  and  modest  in  womankind. 
The  lecture  by  Mr.  Herndon  was  for  the  most  part  historic  and 
could  not  fail  to  interest  all,  and  when  the  lecturer  indulged  in 
anticipations  of  the  future  or  moralized  on  the  past  it  was  in  the 
clear  and  comprehensive  view  of  a  man  who  has  studied  well  his 
subject  and  shown  himself  capable  both  to  please  and  interest. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

An  epoch  in  Lincoln's  life  —  His  political  baptism  —  Signs  the  call  for  the 
Bloomington  Convention  —  Herndon's  account  of  the  incident  —  How  Stuart 
tried  to  retard  him  —  Lincoln  announces  himself — His  speech  at  the  Bloom- 
ington Convention  —  The  prediction  of  Jesse  K.  Dubois  described  by  Whit- 
ney —  Lincoln  invited  to  speak  in  New  York  —  Effect  on  his  neighbors  in 
Springfield  —  What  John  T.  Stuart  said  —  The  Cooper  Institute  address  — 
His  speeches  in  New  England  —  How  he  impressed  the  Eastern  people  — 
Mentioned  for  President  by  the  press  —  County  convention  in  Spr'/igfield  en- 
dorses him  for  President  —  He  attends  the  Decatur  meeting  where  John  Hanks 
brings  in  the  famous  rails  —  Crowds  of  Lincoln's  friends  head  for  Chicago 
leaving  him  at  Springfield  —  The  Chicago  Convention  —  What  Lincoln  was  do- 
ing at  home  —  The  nomination  on  Friday  —  How  Lincoln  received  the  news  — 
The  account  by  Clinton  L.  Conkling  —  The  effect  at  Springfield  —  Marching 
to  Lincoln's  house  —  His  speech  —  Arrival  of  notification  committee  from 
Chicago  —  Incidents  of  their  visit  —  The  notification  ceremony  in  the  parlor  of 
Lincoln's  home  —  Incidents  of  the  campaign  —  All  paths  lead  to  Springfield 
—  The  great  rally  in  August  —  Letter  of  John  Hanks  supporting  the  claims  of 
his  cousin  Abe  Lincoln  —  Some  local  campaigners  —  Herndon's  speech  at 
Petersburg  —  Comments  of  the  local  papers. 

HAVING  devoted  more  or  less  space  to  an  account  of  Mr. 
Lincoln's  activities  as  a  lawyer,  lecturer,  and  inventor,  it 
follows  that  in  order  to  acquaint  the  reader  with  a  com- 
prehensive review  of  the  real  man,  his  evolution  as  a 
political  leader  should  not  be  omitted.  In  the  endeavor  to 
arrive  at  the  truth  in  this  regard,  however,  I  shall  avoid  as 
fully  as  I  can  the  repetition  of  the  things  with  which  the 
public  is  already  familiar  and  in  relating  the  story  of  his 
development  view  him  through  the  eyes  of  his  neighbors 
and  close  friends.  This  and  a  retrospect  of  conditions  as 
reflected  in  the  local  press  cannot  fail  to  add  to  the  inter- 
est of  the  narrative. 

Those  who  have  carefully  studied  the  life  of  Lincoln 
will,  I  believe,  agree  with  his  biographers  that  the  year  of 


252  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

1854  marks  the  beginning  of  an  eventful  epoch  in  his  ca- 
reer. We  have  his  own  testimony  that  for  a  period  of  five 
years  prior  thereto  beginning  with  the  close  of  his  only 
term  in  Congress  in  1849  ne  nac^  practically  forsaken  pol- 
itics and  concentrated  his  energy  and  masterly  ability  on 
the  practice  of  law.  And  doubtless  he  would  have  contin- 
ued thus  politically  inactive  during  the  remainder  of  his 
days  but  for  a  circumstance  mentioned  in  the  notes  pre- 
pared by  him  for  an  autobiography  in  which  he  makes  the 
sententious  declaration  that  "in  1854  his  profession  had 
almost  superseded  the  thought  of  politics  in  his  mind  when 
the  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Compromise  aroused  him  as  he 
had  never  been  before." 

His  first  decisive  and  noteworthy  utterance  after  the 
great  bolt  from  the  political  sky  was  the  speech  at  Spring- 
field October  4, 1854,  in  answer  to  one  by  Stephen  A.  Doug- 
las at  the  same  place  the  day  before.  Twelve  days  later  he 
repeated  it  at  Peoria.  On  this  occasion  he  wrote  it  out  in 
full  and,  fortunately  for  history,  it  was  published  word  for 
word  in  the  Springfield  papers.  It  was  a  profound  and 
masterly  argument.  "After  the  lapse  of  more  than  a 
quarter  of  a  century,"  wrote  one  of  his  biographers,  "  the 
critical  reader  finds  it  a  model  of  brevity,  directness,  terse 
diction,  exact  and  lucid  historical  statement  and  full  of 
logical  propositions  so  short  and  strong  as  to  resemble 
mathematical  axioms.  Above  all  it  is  pervaded  by  an  ele- 
vation of  thought  and  aim  that  lifts  it  out  of  the  common- 
place of  mere  party  controversy.  The  main  broad  current 
of  his  reasoning  was  to  vindicate  and  restore  the  policy  of 
the  fathers  of  the  country  in  the  restriction  of  slavery.  But 
running  through  this  like  a  thread  of  gold  was  the  demon- 


CALL  FOR  BLOOMINGTON  CONVENTION    253 

stration  of  the  essential  injustice  and  immorality  of  the 
system." 

It  is  unnecessary  to  recount  here  the  various  steps  by 
which  Lincoln  rose  to  the  eminence  of  political  leader- 
ship he  was  destined  to  attain.  He  was  still  but  a  unit  in 
that  great  but  unorganized  army  of  Whigs  and  Democrats 
who,  like  himself,  were  aroused  by  the  repeal  of  the  Mis- 
souri Compromise.  The  Republican  Party  as  an  organ- 
ization had  not  yet  come  into  existence,  but  events  were 
crystallizing  —  gradually  assuming  form  and  shape.  Al- 
though the  political  sea  until  then  had  been  pervaded  by 
a  calm,  it  was  an  ominous  circumstance,  for  often  a  calm 
is  but  the  precursor  of  a  storm.  Lincoln's  attitude  and 
conduct  at  this  particular  juncture  is  of  the  profoundest 
significance  and  necessitates  the  recital  of  a  brief  but  in- 
teresting chapter  of  history. 

Early  in  the  spring  of  1856  at  the  head  of  its  editorial 
column  the  "  Springfield  Journal "  carried  a  notice  or  proc- 
lamation signed  by  a  number  of  Sangamon  County  people 
urging  the  propriety  of  a  "  county  convention  to  be  held  at 
Springfield  on  Saturday,  May  24,  to  appoint  delegates  to 
the  Bloomington  Convention.'*  It  made  no  pretense  of 
representing  an  organization  and  nothing  was  said  to  indi- 
cate the  political  complexion  of  those  who  were  to  attend 
the  convention  beyond  the  brief  declaration  that  it  was  to 
be  a  gathering  of  those  who  were  "opposed  to  the  repeal  of 
the  Missouri  Compromise,  opposed  to  the  present  Admin- 
istration, and  in  favor  of  Washington  and  Jefferson."  This 
call,  when  turned  over  to  the  newspaper,  bore  the  signature 
of  one  hundred  and  twenty-nine  citizens  of  Springfield  and 
near-by  territory.  Among  them  were  two  of  Lincoln's  law 


254  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

partners  and  men  like  William  Jayne,  James  C.  Conkling, 
and  Edward  L.  Baker.  The  first  name  on  the  list  was  that 
of  Abraham  Lincoln  followed  immediately  by  William  H. 
Herndon.  Being  thus  so  near  the  head  of  the  list  it  is 
manifestly  fair  that  the  latter  should  be  allowed  to  give 
his  version  of  the  episode  as  follows: 

"Tossed  about  with  the  disorganized  elements  that 
drifted  together  after  the  angry  political  waters  had  sub- 
sided, it  became  apparent  to  Mr.  Lincoln  that  if  he  ex- 
pected to  figure  as  a  leader  he  must  take  a  stand  himself. 
Mere  hatred  of  slavery  and  opposition  to  the  injustice  of 
Kansas-Nebraska  legislation  was  not  all  that  was  required 
of  him.  I  ventured  to  warn  him  against  his  apparent  in- 
action, seeing  that  the  needs  of  the  hour  were  so  pressing, 
insisting  that  he  must  be  a  Democrat,  a  Know-Nothing,  or 
Republican,  or  forever  float  about  on  the  sea  without  a 
compass,  rudder,  or  sail;  but  about  the  only  response  I 
could  evoke  was  that  I  was '  too  rampant  and  spontaneous/ 
At  length,  however,  he  decided  to  declare  himself,  and  it 
came  about  in  this  way:  Believing  the  times  were  ripe  for 
more  advanced  movements  in  the  spring  of  1856  I  drew  up 
a  paper  for  the  friends  of  freedom  to  sign  calling  a  county 
convention  in  Springfield  to  select  delegates  to  the  forth- 
coming Republican  State  Convention  in  Bloomington.  The 
paper  was  freely  circulated  and  generously  signed.  Lin- 
coln was  absent  from  town  at  the  time  and,  believing 
I  knew  what  his  feeling  and  judgment  on  the  vital 
questions  of  the  hour  was,  I  took  the  liberty  of  signing 
his  name  to  the  call.  The  whole  was  then  published 
in  the  'Springfield  Journal.'  No  sooner  had  it  appeared 
than  John  T.  Stuart,  who,  with  others,  were  endeavor- 


THE    JOURNAL 


SPRINGFIELD: 

FRIDAY  EVENING,  MAY  16. 


To  the  Citizens  of  Sangamon  County. 

The  undersigned,  citizens  of  Sangamon  county,  who  are 
epposed  to  the  Repeal  of  tbe  Missouri  Compromise,  and 
who  are  opposed  to  the  present  Administration,  and  who 
are  in  favor  of  restoring  the  administration  of  the  General 
Government  to  the  Policy  of  Washington  and  Jefferson, 
wonld  suggest  the  propriety  of  a  County  Convention,  to  be 
held  In  the  City  of  Sprlngfleld,  on  SATURDAY,  the 
TWENTY- FOURTH  day  of  MAY,  1856,  to  appoint  Dele- 
gates to  the  Bloomlngton  Convention. 
A  Lincoln  J  A  Dikeman  E  R  Wiley 

Wm  HHerndon       Nicholas  Dnnnuck  S  B  Moody 
Z  A  Knos  Oliver  P  Hall  P  L  Harrison 

N  W  Matheny          J  N  Fnlllnwlder      M  O  Reeves 
John  Irwln  William  Henrlcks  Win  H  Boyd 

"Walter  Davis          James  Jamison       Jas  Wler 
Pascal  P  Enos         David  Hall  S  M  Parson* 

WHBallhache       Allen  Hall  S  8  Sabin 

EL  Baker  E  T  Dikeman 

William  Javne         James  McBrlde 


Geo  W  Chatterton  J  G  Elkln 


J  D  Harper 
Thomas  M  Helm 
E  B  Hawley 
S  P  Padcn 
Fred  I  Dean 
Amos  Camp 
J  A  HouRh 
H  B  Grnbb 
Geo  A  Black 
J  B  McCamlless 
A  E  Constant 
J  RMinprlfi 
John  Hanson 


Thos  S  Kizer 
A  T  Thompson 
J  A  Jenkins 
Morris  Bird 
J  B  Fosselmau 
H  W  Owen 
J  A  Mason 
Chss  Fisher 
A  H  Saunders 


Frank  Hoppln 
Dan'I  Hoppin 
W  S  Plckrell 
P  Van  Bergaii 
Geo  Pasfleld 
W  Fisher 
A  Y  Ellis 
A  J  Ashton 
P  Breckenrldge 
Thos  Cantrall 
W  L  Gookins 
A  A  McQuesten 


Elijah  Tomlinson    Job  FIe«her,Jr. 


D  Humphreys 
J  R  Saundcn 
J  L  Lantermau 


Joseph  W  Arnold    J  C  Planck 
Sam'l  Cunningham  Alfred  A  North 


E  R  Ulrlch 
David  A  Martin 
Geo  S  Roper 
HPost 
B  Coon 

Isaac  A  Hawley 
A  J  Sell 
R  Churchill 
SO  Whitney 
A  M  Watson 
T  S  Little 
J  A  Plckrell 
W  Hathaway 
Enoa  Bradlny 
Ellsha  Dunnuck 
Ales  Armstrong 
B  Turley 


Charles  Dunn 
A  W  French 
J  A   McCandleas 
R  J  McCandless 
Win  S  Wallace 
S  T  Logan 
Rob  Irwln 
C  BIrchall 
Wm  F  Elkln 
William  Butler 
Jas  0  Conkltng 
Jno  Williams 
BP  Fox 
Joseph  Thayer 
P  0  Canudy 
S  Smith 
A  Mllllngton 


L  S  Conant 
Jay  Slater 
John  Smith 
J  Cantrall 
S  B  Fisher 
0  rover  Ayers 
Wm  Perce 
Hal  Relly 
G  Jaync 
G  A  Suttea 
John  Goo'K 
J  W  Moffett 
C  C  Brown 
B  Moore 
Jno  W  Weber 
George  R  Weber 
tfacob  Lewis 
A  H   L  anphear 
E  C  Matheny 
Thos  J  Knox 
John  Armstrong 
John  Branson 


255 

ing  to  retard  Lincoln  in  his  advanced  ideas,  rushed  into 
the  office  and  asked  if  Lincoln  had  *  signed  that  Aboli- 
tion call  in  the  Journal.'  I  answered  in  the  negative,  but 
added  that  I  had  signed  his  name  myself.  To  the  question, 
'Did  Lincoln  authorize  you  to  sign  it?'  I  returned  an  em- 
phatic 'No/  'Then,'  exclaimed  the  indignant  Stuart,  'you 
have  ruined  him ! '  But  I  was  by  no  means  alarmed  at  what 
others  deemed  inconsiderate  and  hasty  action.  I  thought 
I  understood  Lincoln  thoroughly,  but  in  order  to  vindi- 
cate myself  if  assailed  I  sat  down,  after  Stuart  had  rushed 
out  of  the  office,  and  wrote  Lincoln,  who  was  then  in  Taze- 
well  County  attending  court,  a  brief  account  of  what  I 
had  done  and  how  much  stir  it  was  creating  among  his 
friends  and  others  at  home.  If  he  approved  of  my  course  I 
asked  him  to  telegraph  or  write  me  at  once.  In  due  time 
came  the  answer:  'All  right;  go  ahead.  Will  meet  you  — 
radicals  and  all.'  Stuart  subsided;  and  the  pretended  con- 
servative spirits  in  and  about  Springfield  no  longer  claimed 
to  control  the  political  fortunes  of  Abraham  Lincoln." 

It  would  be  next  to  impossible  to  trace  the  development 
of  Lincoln  as  a  politician  without  some  account  of  the 
Republican  State  Convention  at  Bloomington  May  29, 
1856,  referred  to  in  a  previous  paragraph.  Descriptive  of 
this  great  meeting  Herndon  once  said:  "The  convention 
adopted  a  platform  ringing  with  strong  anti-Nebraska  sen- 
timent and  there  gave  the  Republican  Party  its  official 
christening.  The  business  of  Convention  being  over,  Mr. 
Lincoln,  in  response  to  the  repeated  calls,  came  forward 
and  delivered  a  speech  of  such  earnestness  and  power  that 
no  one  who  heard  it  will  ever  forget  the  effect  it  produced. 
I  have  heard  or  read  all  of  Mr.  Lincoln's  great  speeches, 


256  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

but  I  give  it  as  my  opinion  that  the  Bloomington  speech 
was  the  grand  effort  of  his  life.  Heretofore  he  had  simply 
argued  the  slavery  question  on  grounds  of  policy  —  the 
statesman's  grounds  —  never  reaching  the  question  of  the 
radical  and  the  eternal  right.  Now  he  was  newly  baptized 
—  freshly  born;  he  had  the  fervor  of  a  new  convert;  the 
smothered  flame  broke  out;  enthusiasm  unusual  to  him 
blazed  up;  his  eyes  were  aglow  with  an  inspiration;  he 
felt  justice;  his  heart  was  surcharged  with  sympathy  and 
he  stood  before  the  throne  of  the  eternal  Right.  His  speech 
was  full  of  fire  and  energy  and  force;  it  was  logic;  it  was 
pathos;  it  was  justice,  equity,  and  truth.  I  attempted  for 
about  fifteen  minutes,  as  was  usual  with  me,  to  take  notes, 
but  at  the  end  of  that  time  I  threw  my  pen  and  paper  away 
and  lived  only  in  the  inspiration  of  the  hour.  If  Lincoln  was 
six  feet  four  usually,  he  was  seven  feet  high  at  Blooming- 
ton  that  day  and  inspired  at  that.  From  that  day  to  the 
day  of  his  death  he  stood  firm  in  the  right.  He  felt  his 
great  cross,  had  his  great  idea,  nursed  it,  kept  it,  taught  it 
to  others,  in  his  fidelity  bore  witness  of  it  to  his  death,  and 
finally  sealed  it  with  his  precious  blood." 

Being  admonished  that  his  account  of  Lincoln's  speech,  in 
the  opinion  of  some  persons,  appeared  unusually  graphic  if 
not  overdrawn,  Herndon  answered:  "The  description  was 
used  by  me  in  a  lecture  in  1866  and  to  some  persons  may 
seem  more  or  less  vivid  if  not  extravagant  in  imagery,  but, 
although  more  than  twenty  years  have  passed  since  it  was 
written,  I  have  never  seen  the  need  of  altering  a  single 
sentence.  I  still  adhere  to  the  truthfulness  of  the  scene  as 
originally  depicted." 

In  my  travels  through  Illinois  I  have  met  and  talked  with 


INVITED  TO  SPEAK  IN  NEW  YORK      257 

many  persons  who  heard  Lincoln's  Bloomington  speech. 
They  included  Leonard  Swett,  Joseph  Medill,  David  Davis, 
and  Henry  C.  Whitney,  and  all  agreed  that  it  was  a  wonder- 
ful and  memorable  effort.  I  was  much  impressed  by  Whit- 
ney's recollection.  He  said  that  soon  after  the  speech,  as  he 
descended  the  stairway  from  the  convention  hall,  Jesse  K. 
Dubois,  of  Lawrence  County,  Illinois,  who  had  just  been 
nominated  State  Auditor,  caught  him  by  the  arm  and  ex- 
claimed: "Whitney,  that  is  the  greatest  speech  ever  made 
in  Illinois  and  puts  Lincoln  on  the  track  for  the  presidency." 
A  little  later  Whitney  caught  up  with  Lincoln,  who  was  on 
his  way  to  the  residence  of  Judge  David  Davis,  where  both 
were  guests,  and  told  him  what  Dubois  had  said.  "He 
walked  along  for  a  few  moments,"  related  Whitney, 
"without  saying  a  word,  but  with  a  thoughtful,  ab- 
stracted look;  then  he  straightened  up  and  made  a  re- 
mark about  some  commonplace  subject  having  no  ref- 
erence to  the  matter  we  had  been  discussing.  Did  he 
recognize  in  this  burst  of  enthusiasm  from  Dubois  the  voice 
of  destiny  summoning  him  to  the  highest  responsibility 
on  earth?  If  so,  well  for  him  was  it  that  he  did  not  also 
see  the  towering  granite  tomb  only  nine  years  distant, 
consecrated  by  a  flood  of  human  tears." 

No  single  factor,  however,  did  so  much  to  strengthen 
Lincoln  or  rather  to  promote  his  fortunes  as  the  speech 
he  delivered  at  Cooper  Institute  in  New  York,  February 
26,  1860.  When  it  became  known  in  Springfield  that  he 
had  been  invited  to  speak  in  New  York,  it  occasioned  un- 
wonted surprise.  Inviting  a  man  of  no  more  pretensions 
than  Lincoln,  hailing  from  a  place  as  obscure  as  Spring- 
field, to  deliver  an  address  before  a  cultured  audience  in 


258  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

the  great  metropolis  was  indeed  an  extraordinary  and  un- 
usual occurence.  No  wonder  Lincoln  ordered  a  new  suit  of 
clothes  for  the  occasion.  Comments  were  numerous  and 
varied.  The  following  which  appeared  February  23,  1860, 
in  the  "Illinois  State  Register,"  the  Democratic  organ  in 
Springfield,  shows  what  Lincoln's  political  adversaries  at 
his  home  thought  of  him  as  a  lecturer: 

Significant:  The  Hon.  Abraham  Lincoln  departs  to-day  for 
Brooklyn  under  an  engagement  to  deliver  a  lecture  before  the 
Young  Men's  Association  in  that  city  in  Beecher's  church.  Sub- 
ject: not  known.  Consideration:  $200  and  expenses.  Object: 
presidential  capital.  Effect:  disappointment. 

As  a  rule  the  people  of  Springfield  were  loyal  to  Mr. 
Lincoln,  applauded  his  efforts,  and  rejoiced  in  his  success. 
There  were,  of  course,  a  few  exceptions.  John  T.  Stuart, 
unfortunately,  was  one.  Recalling  Lincoln's  lecture  at 
Concert  Hall  the  year  before,  which  he  characterized  as  a 
weak  effort,  Stuart  predicted  indifference  and  scant  at- 
tention as  Lincoln's  portion,  whenever  he  undertook  to 
entertain  a  New  York  audience:  "All  of  which,"  con- 
tended Herndon,  "simply  shows  how  envious  Stuart  really 
was  of  Lincoln's  success  and  faith  in  himself." 

That  the  Cooper  Institute  address  made  an  early  and 
profound  impression  on  the  majority  of  the  people  of  Lin- 
coln's home  town  as  well  as  elsewhere  is  proved  by  the 
"Springfield  Journal,"  which,  in  its  issue  of  March  7,  1860, 
publishes  the  address  as  it  appeared  in  the  New  York  pa- 
pers. "We  present  herewith,"  says  the  "Journal"  editori- 
ally, "a  very  full  and  accurate  report  of  Mr.  Lincoln's 
Cooper  Institute  speech;  yet  the  tones,  the  gestures,  the 
kindly  eye,  and  mirth-provoking  look  defy  the  reporter's 


THE  COOPER  INSTITUTE  ADDRESS      259 

skill. . . .  No  man  ever  before  made  such  an  impression  on 
his  first  appeal  to  a  New  York  audience."  In  a  later  issue 
of  the  "Journal"  attention  is  paid  to  the  speeches  made 
by  Mr.  Lincoln  in  New  England,  whither  he  had  gone  to 
visit  his  son  Robert  who  was  attending  school  at  Exeter, 
New  Hampshire.  He  spoke  at  numerous  places  in  New 
Hampshire,  Rhode  Island,  and  Connecticut.  "He  indulges 
in  no  flowers  of  rhetoric,  no  eloquent  passages,"  says  the 
Manchester,  New  Hampshire  "Mirror."  "For  the  first 
half-hour,  his  opponents  would  agree  with  every  word  he 
uttered;  and  from  that  part  he  began  to  lead  them  off"  cun- 
ningly, little  by  little,  till  he  seems  to  have  gotten  them  all 
into  his  fold.  He  displays  more  shrewdness,  more  knowl- 
edge of  the  masses  of  mankind  than  any  other  public 
speaker  we  have  had  since  Long  Jim  Wilson  left  for  Califor- 
nia." The  "New  York  Tribune"  on  March  ijth  said: 
"  Mr.  Lincoln  spoke  on  Friday  at  Norwich,  Conn.,  and  on 
Saturday  at  Bridgeport,  whence  he  came  by  the  night  ex- 
press to  this  city,  attending  the  churches  of  Drs.  Beecher 
and  Chapin  yesterday.  He  leaves  this  morning  by  way  of 
the  Erie  Railroad,  having  spoken  once  in  New  England 
for  every  secular  day  since  his  address  in  this  city  two 
weeks  ago.  He  has  done  a  good  work  and  made  many 
friends  during  his  visit." 

The  publication  in  an  Ohio  paper  in  November,  1858, 
of  an  editorial  announcement  favoring  the  nomination  of 
Lincoln  for  President  must  have  awakened  similar  utter- 
ances elsewhere,  for  no  later  than  April,  1859,  Lincoln  in 
a  letter  to  an  Illinois  friend,  who  had  endorsed  him  for 
President,  felt  impelled  to  arrest  the  movement  in  his  be- 
half, saying:  "I  must  in  candor  say  I  do  not  think  myself 


260  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

fit  for  the  presidency.  I  certainly  am  flattered  and  gratified 
that  some  partial  friends  think  of  me  in  that  connection; 
but  I  really  think  it  is  best  for  our  cause  that  no  concerted 
effort,  such  as  you  suggest,  should  be  made." 

Early  in  January,  1860,  a  long  letter  by  a  New  York 
traveler  appeared  in  the  "  Springfield  Journal "  in  which  the 
writer  recorded  his  observations  as  he  made  his  way  over 
the  country,  claiming  to  have  interviewed  merchants, 
mechanics,  and  farmers  everywhere,  and  instead  of  a  pre- 
tended sentiment  in  Seward's  behalf  he  reported  a  decided 
leaning  toward  Lincoln  as  the  best  and  most  available  man 
for  President.  A  few  days  later  the  "  Central  Illinois  Gaz- 
ette" came  out  in  a  ringing  editorial  endorsement  of  Lin- 
coln. Meanwhile  the  Cooper  Institute  speech  intervened, 
whereupon  the  "Jacksonville  Journal,"  "Iroquois  Repub- 
lican," "  Rock  Island  Gazette,"  "  Menard  Index,"  and  other 
papers  of  like  standard  in  Illinois  joined  the  Lincoln  column. 

The  first  public  or  concerted  action  by  the  people  of 
Springfield  in  support  of  Mr.  Lincoln's  presidential  aspir- 
ations took  place  April  28,  1860.  A  few  days  earlier  the 
Republican  State  Central  Committee  had  issued  a  call  for 
a  State  Convention  to  be  held  at  Decatur  May  9,  1860, 
signed  by  N.  B.  Judd,  E.  L.  Baker,  George  T.  Brown, 
Thomas  J.  Turner,  W.  T.  Hopkins,  N.  C.  Geer,  J.  Grim- 
shaw,  William  H.  Herndon,  C.  D.  Hay,  D.  K.  Green,  D.  L. 
Phillips,  and  Jesse  W.  Fell.  The  Republicans  of  Sangamon 
County  promptly  met  in  convention  and  selected  the  fol- 
lowing delegates  from  Mr.  Lincoln's  home:  Noah  W.  Math- 
eney,  William  H.  Herndon,  John  G.  Nicolay,  George  R. 
Webber,  and  William  Jayne.  The  following  resolution  was 
adopted: 


ENDORSED  FOR  PRESIDENT  261 

"Resolved  that  our  distinguished  fellow-citizen,  the  tall 
pioneer  of  Sangamon  County,  Abraham  Lincoln,  is  our 
first  choice  for  President  of  the  United  States  and  that  we 
deem  ourselves  honored  to  be  permitted  to  testify  our  per- 
sonal knowledge  in  every-day  life  as  friends  and  neighbors, 
of  his  inestimable  worth  as  a  private  citizen,  his  faithful  and 
able  discharge  of  every  public  trust  committed  to  his  care 
and  the  extraordinary  natural  gifts  and  brilliant  attain- 
ments which  have  not  only  made  his  name  a  household 
word  in  the  prairie  state,  but  also  made  him  the  proud  peer 
of  the  ablest  jurists,  the  wisest  statesmen  and  the  most 
eloquent  orators  in  the  Union." 

Scenes  and  events  in  Lincoln's  life  now  began  to  unfold 
with  surprising  rapidity.  In  a  few  days  followed  the 
Decatur  Convention  made  famous  by  John  Hanks  with 
his  picturesque  railsplitting  interruption.  Within  a  week 
the  hosts  had  gathered  at  Chicago  for  the  memorable 
tournament  there.  With  the  proceedings  of  the  convention 
itself  the  world  is  familiar,  and  the  varied  and  dramatic 
incidents  have  so  vividly  been  portrayed  by  others  I  can 
hope  to  add  but  little  to  what  has  long  since  been  recorded 
regarding  it.  Lincoln's  attitude  and  connection  therewith 
alone  merit  our  attention. 

The  two  men  in  that  convention  on  whose  counsel  and 
judgment  Lincoln  probably  placed  the  most  implicit 
reliance  were  David  Davis  and  Stephen  T.  Logan.  The 
Illinois  delegation,  of  course,  were  united  and  enthusiastic 
in  their  support.  It  was  their  plan  to  secure  for  him  the 
votes  of  Indiana  and  Pennsylvania;  and  it  has  been  as- 
serted that  the  same  was  accomplished  by  David  Davis  on 
the  promise  of  a  cabinet  portfolio  for  a  man  from  each  of 


262  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

those  States;  but  whether  true  or  not  it  developed  that 
both  States  fell  into  line  for  Lincoln  at  the  proper  time. 

The  convention  opened  Wednesday,  May  16,  1860. 
Lincoln  was  present  at  the  Decatur  Convention  the  previ- 
ous week,  but  he  refrained  from  going  to  Chicago.  In- 
stead he  remained  in  Springfield  going  about  his  business 
as  usual.  It  is  a  matter  of  history  vouchsafed  by  Herndon, 
who  was  with  the  Springfield  delegation  gathered  in  Chi- 
cago, that  Lincoln  sent  word  to  them  by  the  hand  of 
E.  L.  Baker,  editor  of  the  "Springfield  Journal,"  directing 
Davis,  and  others  in  charge  of  his  interests,  to  refrain  from 
making  any  deals  or  agreements,  as  he  was  determined  he 
would  not  be  bound.  Beyond  this  injunction  there  is  no 
evidence  that  he  communicated  further  with  them  or 
otherwise  sought  to  restrict  their  action.  Attention  has 
been  called  to  a  letter,  recently  discovered,  written  by  Mr. 
Lincoln  a  few  days  before  the  Chicago  Convention,  ad- 
dressed to  a  delegate  from  Indiana,  C.  M.  Allen,  of  Vin- 
cennes,  asking  him  to  await  the  arrival  of  David  Davis  and 
Jesse  K.  Dubois  before  deciding  on  any  line  of  policy  to  be 
followed  by  him  at  the  convention.  A  day  later  Lincoln 
wrote  a  letter  to  R.  M.  Corwine,  saying:  "I  think  the  Illi- 
nois delegation  will  be  unanimous  for  me  at  the  start,  and 
no  other  delegation  will.  A  few  individuals  in  other  delega- 
tions would  like  to  go  for  me  at  the  start,  but  may  be 
restrained  by  their  colleagues.  It  is  represented  to  me  by 
men  who  ought  to  know  that  the  whole  of  Indiana  might 
not  be  difficult  to  get"  And  there  are  people  who  pre- 
tend to  believe  that  Lincoln  was  a  novice  in  political 
methods;  that  he  sat  still  in  his  Springfield  office,  folded 
his  hands,  looked  up  at  the  ceiling,  and,  without  manifest- 


THE  "CHICAGO  CONVENTION  263 

ing  the  least  interest  in  the  developments  of  his  own  cause, 
suffered  things  to  drift  along  heedless  of  what  might  be- 
fall him! 

The  delegates-at-large  from  Illinois  in  the  Chicago  Con- 
vention were  Norman  B.  Judd,  of  Chicago;  Gustavus 
Koerner,  of  Belleville;  David  Davis,  of  Bloomington;  and 
Orville  H.  Browning,  of  Quincy.  The  two  delegates  rep- 
resenting the  Sixth  District,  which  included  Sangamon 
County — in  which  Lincoln  lived — were  Stephen  T.  Logan, 
of  Springfield,  and  N.  M.  Knapp,  of  Winchester.  The  fol- 
lowing letter  was  written  by  Knapp  after  he  had  reached 
Chicago.  It  was  addressed  to  Lincoln  and  served  to  indi- 
cate how  things  appeared  to  his  friends  gathered  at  the 
convention  and  what  they  were  planning  to  do  in  his 
behalf: 

TREMONT  HOUSE  —  CHICAGO 

Monday,  May  14, 1860 
DEAR  SIR: 

Things  are  working;  keep  a  good  nerve  —  be  not  surprised 
at  any  result  —  but  I  tell  you  your  chances  are  not  the  worst. 
We  have  got  Seward  in  the  attitude  of  the  representative  Re- 
publican of  the  East  —  you  at  the  West.  We  are  laboring  to 
make  you  the  second  choice  of  all  the  delegations  we  can,  where 
we  can't  make  you  first  choice.  We  are  dealing  tenderly  with 
the  delegates  taking  them  in  detail  and  making  no  fuss.  Be  not 
too  expectant,  but  rely  upon  our  discretion.  Again  I  say  brace 
your  nerves  for  any  result. 

Truly  your  friend 

N.  M.  KNAPP 

On  Friday,  May  i8th  —  four  days  after  the  above  letter 
was  written  —  the  nomination  took  place.  Meanwhile  we 
can  well  understand  that  if  not  a  deeply  engrossed  man 


264  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

Lincoln  was  certainly  a  very  nervous  and  restless  one. 
On  a  vacant  lot  south  of  the  building  which  housed  the 
office  of  the  "Springfield  Journal,"  John  Carmody  had 
leveled  and  smoothed  the  surface  of  the  ground  and  main- 
tained there  a  ball  alley  —  a  place  where  the  lawyers 
sought  amusement  and  exercise  by  playing  at  "  fives "  — 
a  game  in  which  the  contestants  would  throw  a  ball  against 
a  brick  wall  and  catch  it  when  it  rebounded,  also  known  as 
hand-ball.  The  game  was  to  keep  the  ball  going.  If  the 
player  failed  to  catch  it  on  the  rebound,  he  lost  a  point, 
and  twenty-one  points  constituted  the  game.  William 
Donnelly,  a  boy  employed  by  Carmody,  had  charge  of  the 
alley,  kept  the  floor  in  proper  condition  and  collected  the 
fees.  Several  years  ago  I  visited  Donnelly,  then  living  in 
Springfield,  and  interviewed  him  regarding  the  enterprise. 
Lincoln,  he  said,  was  very  fond  of  the  game  and  was  one 
of  the  most  active  and  skillful  players;  his  success  being 
due  to  his  agility  and  large  hands,  enabling  him  to  catch 
the  ball  almost  every  time.  Donnelly  reported  that  during 
the  week  of  the  Chicago  Convention  Mr.  Lincoln  was  about 
the  place  a  good  deal,  indulging  freely  in  the  game. 

In  view  of  the  numerous  and  varied  accounts  which 
have  been  written  detailing  Lincoln's  activities  during  the 
week  of  the  Chicago  Convention,  including  descriptions  of 
how  and  where  he  received  the  news  of  his  nomination 
and  his  movements  generally,  the  statement  which  follows 
is  of  undoubted  interest  and  value.  It  is  copied  from  the 
original  notes  of  an  interview  with  Mr.  E.  L.  Baker,  the 
editor  of  the  "Springfield  Journal,"  who  accompanied  the 
Springfield  delegation  to  Chicago,  and  was  put  in  writing 
by  Mr.  Herndon  in  July,  1865.  Mr.  Baker  left  Chicago 


THE  CHICAGO  CONVENTION  265 

before  the  convention  was  over,  reaching  Springfield  early 
in  the  morning  of  the  day  the  balloting  took  place: 

"Baker,  editor,  said:  'Lincoln  marked  3  passages  in 
Mo.  Democrat,  directing  me  to  show  same  to  Davis  and 
the  others.  I  left  Chicago  on  night  train;  arrived  here 
(Springfield)  in  morning  before  balloting  began.  Met 
Lincoln  and  we  went  to  ball  alley  to  play  at  fives  —  alley 
was  full  —  said  it  was  pre-engaged;  then  went  to  excellent 
beer  saloon  near  by  to  play  game  of  billiards;  table  was  full 
and  we  each  drank  a  glass  of  beer;  then  went  to  Journal 
office  expecting  to  hear  result  of  ballot;  waited  awhile,  but 
nothing  came  and  finally  we  parted;  I  went  to  dinner.  Lo- 
gan had  in  his  pocket  letter  of  Lincoln  authorizing  with- 
drawal of  name  on  conditions/  ' 

A  further  account  of  Lincoln's  demeanor  and  bearing 
on  the  day  of  his  nomination  —  a  carefully  worded  and 
trustworthy  version  of  the  episode  —  has  been  prepared 
by  the  late  Clinton  L.  Conkling,  of  Springfield.  He  and 
George  M.  Brinkerhoff,  referred  to  in  his  statement,  were 
in  the  company  of  Lincoln  and  heard  him  talk  a  few 
moments  before  the  receipt  of  the  telegram  apprising  him 
of  his  nomination.  My  acquaintance  with  the  gentlemen, 
both  of  whom  I  had  frequently  visited  at  their  respective 
abodes,  convinced  me  they  were  in  perfect  accord  in  their 
recollection  of  the  event.  Mr.  Conkling's  account,  as  pre- 
pared by  him  to  be  read  before  the  Illinois  State  Historical 
Society  in  1909,  is  as  follows: 

"On  Friday  morning,  May  18, 1860,  the  third  day  of  the 
Chicago  Convention,  the  delegates  met  at  ten  o'clock  to 
ballot.  James  C.  Conkling,  of  Springfield,  who  had  been  in 
Chicago  several  days,  but  was  called  back  unexpectedly, 


266  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

arrived  home  early  that  morning.  George  M.  Brinkerhoff 
of  this  city  was  reading  law  in  Mr.  Conkling's  office  which 
was  then  over  Chatterton's  jewelry  store.  About  half-past 
eight  Mr.  Lincoln  came  into  the  office  and  asked  Mr. 
Brinkerhoff  where  Mr.  Conkling  was,  as  he  had  just  heard 
on  the  street  that  the  latter  had  returned  from  Chicago. 
On  being  told  that  Mr.  Conkling  was  not  in,  but  would  be 
in  an  hour,  Mr.  Lincoln  left,  saying  he  would  soon  return, 
as  he  was  anxious  to  see  Mr.  Conkling.  Presently  Mr.  Conk- 
ling came  in  and  later  Mr.  Lincoln  again  called.  There  was 
an  old  settee  by  the  front  window  on  which  were  several 
buggy  cushions.  Mr.  Lincoln  stretched  himself  upon  the 
settee,  his  head  resting  on  a  cushion  and  his  feet  over  the 
end.  For  a  long  time  they  talked  about  the  convention. 
Mr.  Lincoln  wanted  to  know  what  had  been  done,  what  Mr. 
Conkling  had  seen  and  learned,  and  what  he  believed  would 
be  the  result.  Mr.  Conkling  replied  that  Mr.  Lincoln  would 
be  nominated  that  day;  that  after  the  conversations  he  had 
had  and  the  information  he  had  gathered,  he  was  satisfied 
Seward  could  not  be  nominated,  for  he  not  only  had  en- 
emies in  other  States  than  his  own,  but  he  had  enemies  at 
home;  that,  if  Mr.  Seward  was  not  nominated  on  the  first 
ballot,  the  Pennsylvania  delegation  and  other  delegations 
would  immediately  go  to  Mr.  Lincoln  and  he  would  be 
nominated. 

"Mr.  Lincoln  replied  that  he  hardly  thought  this  could 
be  possible,  and  that  in  case  Mr.  Seward  was  not  nominated 
on  the  first  ballot  it  was  his  judgment  that  Mr.  Chase,  of 
Ohio,  or  Mr.  Bates,  of  Missouri,  would  be  the  nominee. 
They  both  considered  that  Mr.  Cameron,  of  Pennsylvania, 
stood  no  chance  of  nomination.  Mr.  Conkling  in  response 


RECEIVES  NEWS  OF  HIS  NOMINATION    267 

said  that  he  did  not  think  it  was  possible  to  nominate  any 
other  one  except  Mr.  Lincoln  under  the  existing  circum- 
stances, because  the  pro-slavery  part  of  the  Republican 
Party  then  in  the  convention  would  not  vote  for  Mr. 
Chase,  who  was  considered  an  Abolitionist,  and  the  Aboli- 
tion part  of  the  party  then  in  the  convention  would  not 
vote  for  Mr.  Bates,  because  he  was  from  a  slave  State;  and 
that  the  only  solution  of  the  matter  was  the  nomination  of 
Mr.  Lincoln.  After  discussing  the  situation  at  some  length 
Mr.  Lincoln  arose  and  said:  'Well,  Conkling,  I  believe  I  will 
go  back  to  my  office  and  practice  law/  He  then  left  the 
office. 

"  I  was  present  during  a  part  of  this  interview  and  depend 
largely  for  the  details  of  this  conversation  upon  what  Mr. 
Conkling  and  Mr.  Brinkerhoffhave  told  me.  In  a  very  few 
moments  after  Mr.  Lincoln  left  I  learned  of  his  nomination 
and  rushed  downstairs  after  him.  I  overtook  him  on  the 
west  side  of  the  Public  Square  before  any  one  else  had  told 
him,  and  to  my  cry,  '  Mr.  Lincoln,  you  're  nominated/  he 
said,  'Well,  Clinton,  then  we've  got  it';  and  took  my  out- 
stretched hand  in  both  of  his.  Then  the  excited  crowds 
surged  around  him  and  I  dropped  out  of  sight. 

"  In  my  possession  are  five  original  telegrams  received  by 
Mr.  Lincoln  on  the  day  he  was  nominated.  All  are  on  the 
Illinois  and  Mississippi  Telegraph  Company  forms.  The 
first  one  sent  was  from  the  telegraph  superintendent, 
Wilson,  and  shows  signs  of  haste  and  bears  no  date.  It 
reads: 

To  LINCOLN: 

You  are  nominated. 

J.  J.  S.  WILSON 


268  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

"Mr.  Pierce,  the  operator  who  received  this  message  at 
Springfield,  wrote  from  Young  America,  Illinois,  under 
date  of  June  4,  1860,  to  Mr.  Lincoln  saying  this  was  the 
first  message  for  him  announcing  the  nomination.  A  mo- 
ment after  this  message  was  sent  a  messenger  boy  brought 
to  the  main  office  in  Chicago  a  message  addressed  simply, 
'Abe'  and  which  read:  'We  did  it.  Glory  to  God!  Knapp.' 
The  receiving  clerk  brought  the  message  to  Mr.  E.  D.  L. 
Sweet,  superintendent  of  the  Western  Division,  calling 
his  attention  to  the  address  and  also  to  the  expression, 
'Glory  to  God/  Mr.  Sweet  directed  that  the  words, 
'Lincoln,  Springfield,'  be  added  and  that  the  message  be 
sent  at  once.  The  message  was  probably  the  first  one  to 
Mr.  Lincoln  from  any  person  who  was  actively  at  work 
in  his  behalf  in  the  convention  and  without  doubt  was 
from  Mr.  N.  M.  Knapp  who  wrote  the  letter  of  May  i4th. 
The  next  two  telegrams  are  from  J.  J.  Richards,  who  was 
connected  with  the  Great  Western  Railroad  and  resided  at 
Naples  which  was  the  terminus  of  the  road.  The  first  one 
was  as  follows: 

May  1 8  1860 

By  Telegraph  from  Chicago, 
To  ABRAHAM  LINCOLN  : 

You  're  nominated  and  elected. 

J.  J.  RICHARDS 

"The  second  read: 

You  were  nominated  on  the  3rd  ballot. 

J.  J.  RICHARDS 

"Mr.  J.  J.  S.  Wilson  followed  his  first  message,  probably 
within  a  few  moments,  by  another  which  reads": 


TELEGRAPHIC  NEWS  FROM  CHICAGO    269 

May  1 8  1 860 

By  Telegraph  from  Chicago 
To  HON.  A.  LINCOLN 

Vote  just  announced.  Whole  No.  466.  Necessary  to  choice 
234.  Lincoln  354.  Votes  not  stated.  On  motion  of  Mr.  Evarts 
of  N.Y.  the  nomination  was  made  unanimous  amid  intense 
enthusiasm. 

J.  J.  S.  WILSON 

The  only  telegraph  wires  into  Springfield  in  1860  were 
owned  and  operated  by  the  Illinois  and  Mississippi  Tele- 
graph Company,  and  were  called  the  Caton  lines,  after 
Judge  John  D.  Caton,  of  Ottawa,  Illinois,  the  president  of 
the  company.  The  principal  office  of  the  company  was  in 
St.  Louis.  John  James  Speed  Wilson  was  superintendent 
of  the  Eastern  Division,  with  headquarters  at  Springfield, 
and  E.  D.  L.  Sweet,  of  the  Western  Division,  with  his 
office  in  Chicago.  There  was  only  one  wire  into  the  Wig- 
wam —  the  building  in  which  the  convention  was  held  in 
Chicago  —  and  this  was  connected  at  the  main  office  with 
the  wire  leading  to  the  east.  Mr.  Wilson  was  in  Chicago 
during  the  convention  and  divided  his  time  between  the 
main  telegraph  office  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Lake  and 
Clark  Streets  and  the  Wigwam.  It  was  before  the  day  of 
the  telephone,  so  that  most  of  the  personal  messages  from 
delegates  to  Illinois  points  —  and  that  included  those  to 
Mr.  Lincoln  —  were  sent  from  the  convention  hall  to  the 
main  office  of  the  company  by  messenger  boys. 

For  the  first  time  in  its  history  the  city  of  Springfield 
had  the  honor  of  sheltering  and  numbering  among  its 
citizens  a  candidate  for  President  of  the  United  States; 
and  judging  by  the  activities  of  that  period,  as  chronicled 
in  the  local  papers,  its  people  deeply  appreciated  the  dis- 
tinction. 


270  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

"The  news  of  Mr.  Lincoln's  nomination,"  says  the 
"Journal"  on  Saturday,  May  i9th,  "reached  the  city 
shortly  after  noon  yesterday.  Arrangements  were  at  once 
made  to  fire  a  salute  of  one  hundred  guns  and  the  different 
bells  in  the  city  were  rung  from  five  o'clock  till  sundown. 
Flags  were  flying  from  the  State  House;  Republican  Head- 
quarters, and  the  JOURNAL  office;  and  other  evidences  of 
joy  were  visible  in  various  parts  of  the  city.  Many  called 
on  Mr.  Lincoln  at  his  home  to  congratulate  him  personally 
and  a  large  and  enthusiastic  crowd  assembled  at  the  State 
House  at  eight  in  the  evening  where  speeches  were  deliv- 
ered by  J.  C.  Conkling,  George  R.  Webber,  and  others. 
An  hour  later  the  Young  American  Band  started  for  the 
Lincoln  residence.  Arriving  in  front  of  the  house  the  crowd 
made  loud  calls  for  Mr.  Lincoln  and  they  were  soon  grati- 
fied by  seeing  his  tall  form  emerging  from  his  doorway. 
When  the  cheering  subsided  Mr.  Lincoln  proceeded  to  make 
his  first  speech  as  a  candidate  for  President." 

Unfortunately  for  us  no  reporter  was  present  to  take 
down  the  speech  and  we  must  therefore  content  ourselves 
with  the  account  of  it  as  published  in  the  local  newspaper. 

"For  appropriateness  the  speech,"  observes  the  "Jour- 
nal," "was  never  surpassed.  Mr.  Lincoln  said  he  did  not 
suppose  the  honor  of  such  a  visit  was  intended  particularly 
for  himself  as  a  private  citizen,  but  rather  as  the  repre- 
sentative of  a  great  party;  and  in  reference  to  his  position 
on  the  political  questions  of  the  day  he  referred  his  numer- 
ous and  enthusiastic  hearers  to  his  previous  public  letters 
and  .speeches.  The  speech  was  a  perfect  model  in  its  way, 
and  the  loud  applause  with  which  it  was  greeted  shows  that 
it  struck  the  right  place  in  the  minds  of  his  hearers.  Just 


ARRIVAL  OF  NOTIFICATION  COMMITTEE    271 

previous  to  the  conclusion  of  his  speech  Mr.  Lincoln  said 
he  would  be  glad  to  invite  the  whole  crowd  into  his  house 
if  it  were  large  enough  to  hold  them  (A  voice:  'We  will  give 
you  a  larger  house  on  the  4th  of  next  March ! '),  but  as  it 
could  not  contain  more  than  a  fraction  of  those  who  were 
in  front  of  it  he  would  merely  invite  as  many  as  could 
find  room." 

Meetings  to  ratify  the  Chicago  nominations  were  held 
on  the  days  following,  not  only  in  Springfield,  but  at  other 
points  in  Sangamon  County,  where  enthusiastic  crowds 
gathered  and  listened  to  speeches  by  James  H.  Matheney, 
William  H.  Herndon,  John  H.  Littlefield  (a  law  student  in 
Lincoln  and  Herndon's  office),  Shelby  M.  Cullom,  Wil- 
liam Jayne,  and  other  local  orators  of  like  renown. 

Two  memorable  and  auspicious  events  in  Lincoln's  life 
took  place  on  Friday.  One  was  his  marriage  to  Mary 
Todd,  November  4,  1842;  the  other  his  nomination  for 
President  at  Chicago,  May  18,  1860.  On  the  day  following 
the  last-named  occurrence,  which  was  Saturday,  came  the 
committee  from  the  National  Convention  to  notify  Mr. 
Lincoln  of  his  nomination.  They  reached  Springfield  at 
seven  o'clock  in  the  evening  from  Chicago  on  a  special 
train  of  three  cars,  which,  besides  the  members  of  the  com- 
mittee, contained  numerous  other  delegates  and  many  of 
Mr.  Lincoln's  personal  friends.  "Upon  the  arrival  of  the 
committee  at  the  Chenery  House,"  says  the  "Springfield 
Journal,"  "cheers  were  given  by  the  crowd  for  Governor 
Morgan,  of  New  York,  Frank  P.  Blair,  of  Maryland, 
Governor  Boutwell,  of  Massachusetts,  and  three  cheers 
and  a  tiger  for  the  Pennsylvania  delegation.  From  the 


272  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

hotel  the  delegation  deployed  off  to  the  State  House  where 
a  most  enthusiastic  Republican  meeting,  addressed  by 
various  distinguished  speakers,  was  kept  up  to  a  late 
hour."  The  notification  committee,  meanwhile,  after  par- 
taking of  supper  and  bountiful  refreshments  at  the  hotel, 
proceeded  to  the  residence  of  Lincoln.  What  took  place 
there  is  so  well  known  it  need  not  be  repeated  here.  An 
incident  or  two,  however,  has  been  preserved. 

Among  those  who  accompanied  the  delegation  from 
Chicago  was  Ebenezer  Peck,  later  Clerk  of  the  Supreme 
Court  of  Illinois,  who  had  once  been  a  resident  of  Spring- 
field, was  a  close  friend  of  Lincoln,  and  therefore  more 
or  less  familiar  with  the  latter's  social  and  domestic  sur- 
roundings. On  reaching  the  hotel  Mr.  Peck  confided  to  the 
local  people  gathered  there  that,  on  account  of  the  delay 
in  the  arrival  of  the  train  and  the  necessity  of  departing  at 
an  early  hour,  the  committee  desired  that  the  least  time 
possible  be  consumed  by  the  notification  ceremony  at 
Lincoln's  residence.  To  that  end  it  was  intimated  that  no 
ladies  were  to  be  invited  and  that  even  the  presence  of  Mrs. 
Lincoln  was  not  expected  or,  in  fact,  desired.  Being  ac- 
quainted with  the  mercurial  disposition  of  Lincoln's 
wife,  Peck  called  aside  several  Springfield  people  whom  he 
knew  and  suggested  that  they  notify  Mrs.  Lincoln  of  the 
committee's  preference  so  that  thus  she  would  take  the 
hint.  But  it  happened  that  the  Springfield  people  were  also 
familiar  with  Mrs.  Lincoln's  peculiar  temperament  so  that 
when  appealed  to  by  Peck  they  declined  to  intervene. 
Instead  they  admonished  him:  "Go  tell  the  lady,  yourself." 
Later,  when  the  home  on  Eighth  Street  was  reached  and 
the  committee  filed  gravely  in,  the  first  person  they  saw 


THE  NOTIFICATION  CEREMONY         273 

was  Mrs.  Lincoln  dressed  in  her  finest,  bedecked  with 
flowers,  and  graciously  awaiting  them  in  the  parlor! 
Whether  Mr.  Peck  had  courage  enough  to  deliver  the 
message  himself  was  never  known. 

A  gentleman,  who  was  living  in  Springfield  when  these 
lines  were  written,  told  me  that  he,  among  others,  was 
consulted  by  Lincoln  regarding  the  propriety  of  offering 
wine  to  the  committee  while  they  were  at  his  house.  At 
first  it  was  deemed  appropriate  to  comply  with  the  custom 
then  in  vogue  in  welcoming  and  entertaining  guests  who 
ranked  as  high  as  the  members  of  the  notification  commit- 
tee; but  later,  after  some  reflection,  Lincoln  dissented, 
holding  that,  as  he  himself  did  not  drink  wine,  it  could 
with  propriety  be  omitted  in  his  own  house.  A  few  days 
after  the  departure  of  the  committee  Lincoln  encountered 
the  gentleman  above  mentioned  —  John  W.  Bunn  — 
on  the  street.  The  latter  asked  him  how  his  guests  took 
to  the  cold  water  he  had  served  to  them  at  his  house. 
"Greatly  to  my  surprise,"  answered  Lincoln,  "they  drank 
freely  of  it  and  I  never  knew  the  reason  till  one  of  them  con- 
fided that  they  had  just  come  from  a  sumptuous  dinner  at 
the  hotel  where  they  were  given  bountiful  quantities  of 
everything  to  drink  but  water,  so  that  when  they  reached 
my  house  they  were  so  dry,  notwithstanding  the  refresh- 
ments at  the  hotel,  even  water  was  stimulant  enough  to 
satisfy  their  appetites." 

In  due  time  the  campaign  of  1860  was  well  under  way 
With  the  dignity  becoming  his  position  Mr.  Lincoln  re- 
mained at  home  supervising  his  correspondence,  receiving 
visitors,  and,  in  general,  managing  his  campaign.  The 
leading  incident  —  one  of  absorbing  local  interest  —  was 


274  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

the  mammoth  meeting  at  Springfield  August  i4th,  which, 
in  size  and  character,  is  graphically  portrayed  in  the  head- 
lines of  the  "  Springfield  Journal"  : 

A  POLITICAL  EARTHQUAKE  ! 

THE  PRAIRIES  ON  FIRE  FOR  LINCOLN 

THE  BIGGEST  DEMONSTRATION 

EVER  HELD  IN  THE  WEST 
75000  REPUBLICANS  IN  COUNCIL 
IMMENSE  PROCESSION 


Speaking  from  Five  Stands  by  Trumbull,  Doolittle, 

Kellogg,  Palmer,  Gillespie,  etc. 

Magnificent  Torch  Light  Procession  at  Night. 

Meeting  at  the  Wigwam  and  Representatives  Hall. 

This  was  not  only  Lincoln's  first  public  appearance 
after  the  day  of  his  nomination,  but  also,  as  described  in 
the  local  papers,  the  greatest  rally  of  the  campaign.  The 
meeting  was  at  the  State  Fair  Grounds.  "The  announce- 
ment that  Mr.  Lincoln  had  arrived  on  the  ground,"  re- 
lates the  "Journal,"  "was  the  signal  for  a  display  of  wild 
enthusiasm  the  like  of  which  was  never  before  witnessed  by 
an  Illinois  audience.  There  was  a  rush  from  every  stand  to- 
ward his  carriage,  which  was  immediately  surrounded  by  his 
warm  admirers  and  he  was  forced  almost  violently  from 
his  vehicle  and  carried  upon  the  shoulders  of  the  crowd  to  an 
impromptu  stand  where  he  was  called  upon  for  a  speech. 
The. huzzas  and  cheers  which  greeted  him  were  continued 
nearly  ten  minutes  without  cessation,  the  uproar  being  so 
great  he  could  not  make  himself  heard.  When  order  was 


GREAT  RALLY  IN  AUGUST  275 

partially  restored  he  thanked  his  hearers  in  a  brief  speech 
and  then  descended  from  the  platform.  Meanwhile  thou- 
sands pressed  around  to  take  him  by  the  hand,  but  by  an 
adroit  movement  he  escaped  on  horseback  while  the  crowd 
was  besieging  the  carriage  in  which  he  was  expected  to 
return  to  the  city." 

Among  other  things  the  campaign  was  enlivened  by  a 
long  letter  published  in  the  "  Decatur  Chronicle,"  written 
by  Lincoln's  kinsman  John  Hanks  explaining  why  he 
had  left  the  Democratic  Party  and  was  then  warmly  sup- 
porting the  claims  of  his  cousin  Abraham  Lincoln  for  Pres- 
ident. No  incident  of  the  campaign  made  a  deeper  impres- 
sion on  Lincoln.  Although  John  may  not  have  written 
the  letter  exactly  as  printed  in  the  newspaper,  it  does  not 
follow  that  he  neglected  to  dictate  his  ideas  to  another  who 
possessed  the  requisite  skill  to  put  it  into  shape  for  publi- 
cation. As  it  was  the  first  and  only  endorsement  of 
Lincoln's  claims  from  any  of  his  kindred,  and  as  John 
Hanks  was  his  favorite  cousin  (the  only  one,  too,  he  hon- 
ored with  an  invitation  to  his  wedding),  we  can  well  under- 
stand that  the  latter  with  its  plain  logic  and  frank  senti- 
ments afforded  Lincoln,  as  Herndon  assured  me,  the 
deepest  gratification.  In  view  of  the  fact  that  Lincoln  read 
the  letter  when  published  and  was  so  deeply  touched  by 
his  cousin's  loyal  and  generous  support,  a  reproduction  of 
a  portion  of  it  in  this  connection  may  not  be  without  more 
or  less  interest.  After  reciting  that  from  boyhood  he  had 
been  a  supporter  of  the  Democratic  Party,  Hanks  insists 
that  he  is  but  repeating  the  tactics  of  Douglas  in  trans- 
ferring his  support  to  the  Republican  Party.  Referring  to 
Lincoln  he  says: 


276  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

I  have  known  him  for  more  than  thirty  years.  In  boyhood 
days  we  Ve  toiled  together;  many  are  the  days  we  have  lugged 
the  heavy  oar  on  the  Ohio,  the  Illinois  and  the  Mississippi  Rivers 
together;  many  are  the  long  cold  days  we  have  journeyed  over 
the  wild  prairies  and  through  the  forest  with  gun  and  axe;  and 
though  it  is  now  pleasant  to  refer  to  it  well  do  I  remember  when 
we  set  out  together  in  the  cold  winter  to  cut  and  maul  rails  on 
the  Sangamon  River  in  Macon  County  to  enclose  his  father's 
little  home  and  from  day  to  day  kept  at  work  until  the  whole 
was  finished  and  the  homestead  fenced  in.  We  often  swapped 
work  in  this  way  and  yet,  during  the  many  years  we  were  asso- 
ciated together  as  laborers  sometimes  flat-boating,  sometimes 
hog  driving,  sometimes  rail  making  and,  too,  when  it  was  nearly 
impossible  to  get  books  he  was  a  constant  reader;  I  was  a  lis- 
tener, fie  settled  the  disputes  of  all  the  young  men  in  the 
neighborhood  and  his  decisions  were  always  abided  by.  I  never 
knew  a  man  more  honest  under  all  circumstances.  Thus  asso- 
ciated with  Mr.  Lincoln  I  learned  to  love  him  and  when,  in 
1858,  he  was  a  candidate  for  the  first  time  within  my  reach, 
against  my  feelings  and,  I  may  say,  against  my  convictions  my 
old  party  ties  induced  me  to  vote  for  Mr.  Douglas.  My  Demo- 
cratic friends  all  declared  Lincoln  was  an  Abolitionist.  I  heard 
him  make  a  speech  in  Decatur  just  before  the  election  and  I 
could  see  nothing  bad  in  it;  but  I  was  told  by  the  party  he  was 
wrong  and  yet  I  did  not  see  how  he  could  be.  They  said  I  was  a 
Democrat  and  must  vote  that  way.  My  wife  used  to  say  to  me 
that  some  day  Abe  would  come  out  and  be  something  great ; 
I  thought  so  too  but  I  could  not  exactly  see  how  a  man  in  the 
lower  walks  of  life,  a  day  laborer  and  helplessly  poor  would 
ever  stand  much  chance  to  rise  very  high  in  the  world. 

At  last,  one  day  at  home,  we  heard  that  the  Republican 
State  Convention  was  to  be  held  at  Decatur  and  that  they  were 
going  for  Abe  for  President.  As  soon  as  I  found  this  out  I  went 
into  town  and  told  a  friend  of  Abe's  that  great  and  honest  merit 
was  at  last  to  be  rewarded  in  the  person  of  my  old  friend  Mr. 
Lincoln  of  the  Republican  Party.  I  thought  of  the  hard  and  try- 
ing struggles  of  his  early  days  and  recollecting  the  rails  we  had 
made  together  thirty  years  ago  made  up  my  mind  to  present 
some  of  them  to  that  convention  as  a  testimonial  of  the  begin- 
ning of  one  of  the  greatest  living  men  of  the  age,  believing  they 


LETTER  OF  JOHN  HANKS  277 

would  speak  more  in  his  praise  than  any  orator  could,  and 
honor  true  labor  more  than  the  praise  of  men  or  the  resolutions 
of  conventions.  On  our  way  to  get  the  rails  I  told  the  friend  of 
old  Abe  that  if  Abe  should  be  nominated  for  President  I  would 
vote  for  him;  everybody  knows  he  has  been  and  I  rejoice  that  I 
live  to  give  this  testimony  to  his  goodness  and  honesty,  and  hope 
I  shall  live  to  vote  for  him  for  President  of  the  United  States 
next  November.  Is  there  anything  wrong  in  this?  Who  ought  to 
refuse  to  vote  for  as  good  and  as  great  a  man  as  he  is  ?  I  know 
that  in  voting  for  him  I  vote  with  the  Republican  Party  and  will 
be  considered  as  adopting  its  principles.  As  I  now  understand 
him  I  see  no  good  reason  why  I  may  not  do  so;  our  own  party  is 
divided  and  we  have  no  Solomon  to  tell  who  shall  take  the  child. 
Slavery  has  divided  the  Democratic  Party  and  nobody  can 
blame  Republicanism  for  the  destruction  that  came  upon  us  at 
Charleston.  Slavery  has  disunited  us  —  has  united  the  Re- 
publican Party,  and  if  there  is  any  good  about  the  question 
they  have  it  all  and  we  have  the  trouble.  If  I  understand  Mr. 
Douglas  now,  he  occupies  a  position  on  the  question  just  as  dis- 
tasteful to  the  South  as  Mr.  Lincoln  does  —  with  this  clear 
difference;  The  South  seems  to  understand  Mr.  Lincoln's  po- 
sition better  than  his  and  to  respect  it  a  great  deal  more;  and  I 
am  convinced  that  if  Mr.  Douglas  does  not  reflect  the  nigger  he 
does  the  mulatto,  and  one  brings  just  as  much  in  Mobile  as  the 
other  and  stands  as  high  in  the  market. 

Many  of  my  Democratic  neighbors  will  say  I  have  done 
wrong;  but  I  know  there  are  many  who  would  do  as  I  have  done 
were  it  not  that  they  do  not  feel  willing  to  break  away  from 
party  ties  and  encounter  the  talk  of  old  friends.  As  long  as  I 
have  old  Abe  to  lead  me  I  know  that  I  shall  never  go  very  far 
from  the  right.  Should  he  be  elected  President  and  find  any 
trouble  in  steering  his  new  boat  he  has  only  to  remember  how 
we  used  to  get  out  of  hard  places  by  rowing  straight  ahead  and 
never  by  making  short  turns.  The  tallest  oaks  in  the  forest 
have  fallen  by  his  giant  arms;  he  still  wields  a  tremendous 
maul;  out  of  the  largest  timber  he  can  make  the  smallest  rails. 
I  have  seen  him  try  a  tough  cut  and  fail  once;  in  the  second  trial 
he  never  failed  to  use  it  up.  Though  not  a  very  beautiful  symbol 
of  honesty  I  think  the  rail  a  fitting  one  and  mean  to  present  Abe 
with  one  of  his  own  make  should  he  be  elected,  in  the  city  of 


278  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

Washington  on  the  day  of  inauguration  to  be  kept  in  the  White 
House  during  his  administration. 

JOHN  HANKS 

Illinois  and  especially  Springfield  was  the  storm  center 
of  the  campaign.  Hither  came  the  celebrities  from  all  di- 
rections so  that  the  people  were  privileged  to  hear  most  of 
the  great  spell-binders  of  the  day  including  Tom  Corwin, 
Samuel  Galloway,  Galusha  Grow,  Carl  Schurz,  Robert 
C.  Schenck,  Leonard  Swett,  and  others  of  like  renown. 
Most  of  the  meetings  in  Springfield  were  held  in  the  Wig- 
wam, a  building  erected  for  the  purpose,  and  there  Mr. 
Lincoln  would  generally  be  seen,  occupying  a  seat  on  the 
platform,  or  sometimes  walking  beside  the  speaker  in  the 
parade  as  it  marched  down  the  street.  Although  a  punc- 
tual and  interested  spectator  at  all  the  meetings,  he  in- 
variably declined  to  make  a  speech. 

There  was  also  great  activity  among  the  local  campaign- 
ers. Herndon  was  especially  ubiquitous  and  energetic;  so 
also  were  William  Jayne,  John  H.  Littlefield  —  a  law  stu- 
dent in  Lincoln  &  Herndon's  office  —  and  the  lamented 
Elmer  Ellsworth.  That  Mr.  Lincoln  was  himself  not  un- 
mindful of  their  interest  and  zeal  is  demonstrated  by  the 
following  message  which  he  sent  to  Herndon  who  was 
billed  to  make  a  speech  at  Petersburg  October  loth,  just 
after  the  State  election  in  Indiana  and  Pennsylvania: 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILLS.,  Oct.  10,  1860 
DEAR  WILLIAM:  « 

I  cannot  give  you  the  details,  but  it  is  entirely  certain  that 
Pennsylvania  and  Indiana  have  gone  Republican  very  largely. 
Pennsylvania  25,000  and  Indiana  5,000  to  10,000.  Ohio  of 
course  is  safe.  Yours  as  ever 

A.  LINCOLN 


HERNDON'S  SPEECH  AT  PETERSBURG    279 

This  message  in  Lincoln's  handwriting  is  still  in  existence 
having  been  presented  by  Herndon  to  a  friend  in  Chicago 
who  has  preserved  and  allowed  me  to  copy  it.  "I  well  re- 
member," related  Herndon, "  how,in  the  midst  of  my  speech 
at  Petersburg,  a  man  hurriedly  made  his  way  through  the 
crowd  and  thrust  a  message  into  my  hand.  I  was  more  or 
less  agitated,  if  not  really  alarmed,  fearing  it  might  contain 
sad  or  unwelcome  news  from  my  family;  but  great  was  my 
relief  when  I  read  it,  which  I  did  aloud.  It  was  from  Lincoln 
bidding  me  to  be  of  good  cheer,  that  Indiana,  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  Ohio  had  been  swept  by  the  Republicans.  These 
were  October  States  and  this  was  the  first  gun  of  the  cam- 
paign. The  announcement  created  so  much  commotion, 
such  a  burst  of  enthusiasm,  that  the  crowd  in  their  excite- 
ment forgot  they  had  a  speaker.  They  ran  from  the  hall 
and  their  cheers  and  yells  were  so  vociferous  I  never  suc- 
ceeded in  finishing  my  speech." 

The  incident  is  thus  described  in  the  "Axis,"  the  Dem- 
ocratic organ  published  in  Petersburg  October  13,  1860: 

Abraham  Lincoln,  of  whom  it  has  been  stated  by  his  private 
secretary  that  he  was  under  obligations  to  his  friends  not  to 
write  or  answer  any  interrogatories  lest  he  should  embarrass 
the  canvass,  being  overjoyed  at  the  intelligence  from  the  late 
elections  has  violated  the  obligation  imposed  upon  him.  While 
Bill  Herndon  was  delivering  his  tirade  of  abuse  upon  the  Southern- 
ers and  Southern  institutions  at  the  court-house  in  this  place 
on  Monday  evening,  he  was  stopped  in  the  middle  of  his  speech 
upon  the  arrival  of  a  special  messenger  from  Springfield  (an- 
nounced by  the  agent  of  the  U.  G.  R.  R.)  bearing  a  note  from  the 
great  Abraham  himself,  heralding  a  Republican  victory  of  twenty 
thousand  in  Pennsylvania,  twenty  to  twenty-five  thousand  in 
Ohio,  and  five  to  ten  thousand  in  Indiana  and  closing  as  follows: 

"I  send  this  glorious  news  to  my  friends,  greeting: 
Your  friend  in  haste 

A.  LINCOLN." 


280  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

Upon  this  announcement  his  friends  obeyed  the  summons  by 
round  after  round  of  frantic  shouts. 

In  an  editorial  bearing  the  headlines:  "The  Falsities  and 
Fanaticism  of  Bill  Herndon,  the  Law  Partner  and  Con- 
fidant of  Mr.  Lincoln,"  the  paper  continues: 

That  the  heresies  and  false  dogmas  of  William  H.  Herndon  are 
traceable  to  the  law  office  of  Mr.  Lincoln  himself  is  a  sufficient 
reason  why  we  feel  called  upon  to  expose  them  to  the  public  in 
order  that  conservative  men  of  the  Republican  Party  may  know 
whither  we  are  drifting.  It  had  for  some  time  been  previously 
announced  that  Mr.  Herndon  would  address  our  citizens  upon 
the  political  issues  of  the  day  and  that  this  would  be  the  ablest 
speech  ever  delivered  in  the  town  of  Petersburg.  Accordingly  we 
were  present  Monday  evening  and  have  something  to  say  of  the 
result. 

From  the  seeming  insuperable  mass  of  incongruous  substances 
composing  the  speech  of  Mr.  Herndon  we  are  enabled  to  col- 
late within  the  bounds  of  reasonableness  a  few  of  the  points  hav- 
ing a  smattering  of  argument  in  them.  We  shall  not  attempt  to 
follow  him  through  the  dark  vaults  of  his  truculent  imagination 
nor  to  calm  the  fears  of  those  who  become  frightened  at  the  gen- 
tleman's ghost  stories.  Presuming  upon  the  faith  of  our  early 
fathers  he  has  dared  to  resurrect  them  in  the  name  of  Abraham 
without  offering  the  divine  sacrifice  that  the  people  might  have 
disclosed  to  them  the  hallowedness  of  the  act. 

The  news  of  the  Republican  victory  in  the  October 
States  produced  great  enthusiasm  especially  in  Lincoln's 
home  town.  A  meeting  was  held  at  the  Wigwam  to 
which  a  long  procession  of  Wide-Awakes  and  torchlight 
bearers  made  their  way  after  marching  over  town.  They 
stopped  at  Lincoln's  residence.  "Mr.  Lincoln,"  so  the 
"Journal"  relates,  "stood  in  his  doorway  surrounded  by 
a  large  number  of  friends  and  bowed  in  silent  acknowledg- 
ment of  the  deafening  cheers,  but  declined  to  speak.  But 


LYMAN  TRUMBULL  SPEAKS  281 

Lyman  Trumbull,  who  was  conveniently  at  hand,  made  the 
speech  for  him,  telling  the  crowd  that  they  must  excuse 
Mr.  Lincoln  as  he  was  under  engagement  to  address  the 
people  at  a  later  date,  March  4th,  from  the  eastern  portico 
of  the  Capitol  of  Washington." 


CHAPTER  XIX 

Lincoln  the  candidate  for  President  —  Meeting  the  expenses  of  the  campaign 

—  Judge  Logan's  plan  —  The  ten  friends  of  Lincoln  who  contributed  —  John 
W.  Bunn's  story  of  the  fund  —  John  G.  Nicolay  selected  as  Lincoln's  secretary 

—  Lincoln's  attention  to  the  details  of  the  campaign  —  Meets  with  local  com- 
mittee —  Recommends  John  Hay  as  assistant  secretary  —  Interesting  remi- 
niscence of  John  W.  Bunn  —  How  Lincoln  bore  himself  throughout  the  cam- 
paign —  The  election  —  Lincoln  going  to  the  polls  —  Assigned  quarters  for  his 
office  in  the  State  House  —  His  habits  as  President  elect  —  Goes  to  Chicago  to 
meet  Hannibal  Hamlin  —  Returns  to  Springfield  —  Visitors  at  his  office  and 
incidents  of  his  stay  there  —  Journeys  to  Charleston  to  see  his  stepmother  — 
Account  of  his  visit  and  interesting  reminiscence  by  James  A.  Connolly  — 
Returns  to  Springfield  and  begins  preparations  for  the  journey  to  Washington 

—  Last  visit  to  his  law  office  —  Final  interview  with  Herndon. 

INASMUCH  as  Abraham  Lincoln  was  the  first  candidate 
for  President  that  the  city  of  Springfield  had  ever  sheltered 
there  were,  therefore,  no  precedents,  indicating  the  re- 
quirements of  the  occasion,  to  guide  him  or  his  friends.  In 
a  worldly  sense  Lincoln  was  of  limited  means,  his  ac- 
cumulations after  a  quarter  of  a  century  at  the  bar  never 
having  exceeded  ten  thousand  dollars.  He  was  therefore  ill 
constituted  to  bear,  unaided,  the  burdensome  expenses 
which  a  campaign  for  the  presidential  office  necessarily  en- 
tailed. That  being  the  case  I  venture  in  this  connection  to 
give  space  to  a  reminiscence  of  Lincoln  I  heard  in  Spring- 
field. It  is  so  illuminative  and  affords  such  an  insight  into 
Lincoln's  personal  connection  with  the  campaign  of  1860, 
it  cannot  well  be  omitted.  It  is  a  recollection  of  the  late 
John  W.  Bunn,  who  was  a  close  friend  of  Lincoln  and  one 
of  his  political  lieutenants  in  Springfield.  The  statement 
written  and  delivered  to  me  by  Mr.  Bunn  is  as  follows: 

Shortly  after  Mr.  Lincoln's  nomination  for  President  in  May, 


MEETING  EXPENSES  OF  THE  CAMPAIGN    283 

1860,  Judge  Stephen  T.  Logan,  a  warm  friend  and  former  law 
partner  of  Mr.  Lincoln  and  one  who  had  been  active  in  his  po- 
litical interest,  came  to  me  at  my  brother  Jacob  Bunn's  store, 
where  I  was  then  employed,  and  reminded  me  that  Mr.  Lincoln 
would  necessarily  receive  a  large  amount  of  correspondence 
which  should  be  attended  to  promptly  and  which  would  require 
clerical  assistance;  that  prominent  Republicans  all  over  the 
country  would  be  coming  to  Springfield  to  visit  him;  that  the 
entertainment  of  these  gentlemen  would  be  an  item  of  some  con- 
sequence and  that  there  would  be  various  other  expenses  incident 
to  the  Springfield  end  of  the  campaign,  all  of  which  Mr.  Lincoln, 
being  a  man  of  limited  means,  could  ill  afford  to  bear.  Judge 
Logan  then  suggested  that  a  fund  for  that  purpose  should  be 
provided  by  Mr.  Lincoln's  personal  friends  in  Springfield,  at  the 
same  time  handing  me  his  check  for  five  hundred  dollars  accom- 
panied by  a  list  of  nine  other  friends  of  Mr.  Lincoln  including 
such  men  as  Colonel  John  Williams,  my  brother  Jacob  Bunn, 
O.  M.  Hatch,  Thomas  Condell,  and  Robert  Irwin,  each  one  of 
whom,  he  was  sure,  would  be  glad  to  contribute  five  hundred 
dollars  for  a  fund  for  this  general  purpose.  He  directed  me  to  act 
as  treasurer  of  the  fund  and  I  at  once  called  on  the  gentlemen 
named,  obtaining,  as  predicted,  five  hundred  dollars  from  each 
one,  thus  accumulating  the  fund  of  five  thousand  dollars  for  the 
purposes  indicated  by  Judge  Logan. 

Shortly  after  this  John  G.  Nicolay,  then  a  clerk  in  the  office  of 
O.  M.  Hatch,  agreed,  without  compensation,  to  give  such  time  as 
he  could  to  attend  to  Mr.  Lincoln's  political  correspondence. 
Mr.  Hatch  was  then  Secretary  of  State,  and  he  and  the  clerks  in 
his  office  arranged  their  duties  so  that  Mr.  Nicolay  might  have 
considerable  time  at  his  disposal  in  connection  with  Mr.  Lincoln's 
correspondence.  In  the  early  part  of  August  a  great  Republican 
rally,  said  to  have  been  attended  by  seventy-five  thousand  peo- 
ple, was  held  at  the  State  Fair  Grounds  in  Springfield.  The  ex- 
penses attendant  upon  that  mammoth  gathering  of  the  people 
consumed  the  unexpended  portion  of  the  five  thousand  dollars 
that  had  been  raised.  After  the  rally  a  meeting  of  the  committee 
of  gentlemen  who  had  contributed  the  fund  was  held  and  each  of 
the  original  subscribers  put  in  an  additional  five  hundred  dollars. 
Meanwhile  Mr.  Lincoln's  correspondence  had  so  materially  in- 


284  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

creased  that  Mr.  Nicolay  found  it  practically  impossible  for  him 
to  take  care  of  it  without  assistance.  At  the  meeting  of  the  com- 
mittee, referred  to,  the  question  of  procuring  an  assistant  for 
Nicolay  was  canvassed.  The  names  of  various  persons  were  sug- 
gested, but  none  seemed  to  possess  the  peculiar  qualifications 
deemed  requisite  for  one  who  would  necessarily  have  the  re- 
sponsible duties  attending  the  disposal  of  Mr.  Lincoln's  weighty 
and  oftentimes  delicate  correspondence.  Finally  Milton  Hay 
suggested  that  his  nephew  John  Hay,  who  was  studying  law  in 
his  office,  had  marked  literary  talent,  decided  tact,  and  was  oth- 
erwise well  equipped  to  fill  the  position  and  that,  too,  without 
expense  to  the  committee.  Moreover,  he  contended,  it  would  be 
an  excellent  thing  for  young  Hay  in  the  way  of  practical  experi- 
ence. After  due  consideration  the  committee  decided  to  make 
requisition  on  John  Hay  for  his  services  and  he  immediately  took 
his  place  beside  Mr.  Nicolay.  The  two  worked  together  through- 
out the  remainder  of  the  campaign,  disposing  of  Mr.  Lincoln's 
correspondence  which,  especially  after  the  election,  and  until  the 
departure  of  Mr.  Lincoln  for  Washington,  in  February,  1861,  was 
very  large  and  important. 

Although  more  or  less  burdened  by  the  weighty  matters 
that  necessarily  demanded  his  attention  as  a  candidate 
and  later  President  elect,  Lincoln  in  no  respect  over- 
looked the  details  of  the  campaign.  Especially  solicitous 
was  he  regarding  local  conditions,  including  campaign  ex- 
penses. He  relied  on  Mr.  Bunn  and  repeatedly  called  on 
him  and  certain  other  discreet  friends  asking  for  reports  of 
developments.  He  insisted  that  he  should  be  told  every- 
thing. Mr.  Bunn,  in  his  account  of  Lincoln's  campaign 
expenses,  says: 

Shortly  before  he  left  Springfield,  he  called  a  meeting  of  the 
committee  referred  to  above  in  order  to  close  up  the  various  un- 
finished matters  connected  with  his  end  of  the  campaign.  It 
developed  that  the  fund  was  overdrawn  about  twenty-five  hun- 
dred dollars.  This  I  insisted  on  paying,  as  I  had  been  responsible 


HIS  SECRETARIES,  NICOLAY  AND  HAY    285 

for  incurring  the  deficit.  At  this  meeting  Mr.  Lincoln  said  that 
he  had  been  examining  the  laws  of  Congress  with  reference  to 
Appropriations  and  found  that,  as  President,  he  would  have  at 
his  disposal  for  secretarial  work  only  the  sum  of  twenty-five 
hundred  dollars  per  year,  all  of  which  amount,  he  judged,  would 
be  required  for  Mr.  Nicolay;  that  he  had  found  John  Hay  to  be 
of  great  assistance  and  that  he  hoped  after  reaching  Washington 
he  might  find  some  way  of  continuing  the  latter's  connection 
with  his  personal  work.  Thereupon  Milton  Hay  said  that  John 
Hay  had  greatly  enjoyed  working  with  Mr.  Lincoln,  and  that  he, 
Milton  Hay,  would  provide  for  John's  expenses  for  six  months  in 
Washington.  Immediately  thereafter  Mr.  Lincoln  requested 
John  Hay  to  accompany  him  to  Washington  in  the  capacity  of 
Assistant  Secretary  in  conjunction  with  Mr.  Nicolay,  which  re- 
quest was  duly  complied  with.  During  the  early  years  of  the  war 
John  Hay  returned  to  visit  Springfield.  He  then  told  me  that 
when  Mr.  Lincoln  received  his  first  month's  salary  as  President 
he  insisted  on  paying  Hay  a  salary  at  the  rate  of  three  thousand 
dollars  a  year. 

John  W.  Bunn,  the  author  of  the  foregoing  reminiscence, 
emigrated  to  Springfield  from  New  Jersey  about  the  time 
Mr.  Lincoln  was  elected  to  Congress  in  1847.  His  brother 
Jacob  was  the  leading  banker  of  Springfield  and  a  client  of 
Lincoln's,  and  he  himself  was  one  of  the  latter's  proteges 
in  the  development  of  politics  from  1850  to  1860.  He  and 
Lincoln  were  the  closest  of  friends.  Some  of  his  recollec- 
tions bring  out  characteristics  of  Lincoln  that  cannot  fail 
to  enlighten  us. 

In  the  year  of  1857  [he  related]  Mr.  Lincoln  asked  me  one  day 
if  I  did  not  wish  to  run  for  city  treasurer  of  Springfield.  The  city 
was  then  almost  hopelessly  Democratic  and  the  proposition 
rather  startled  me.  He,  however,  gave  me  encouragement  to 
believe  that  I  could  be  elected  if  I  would  go  about  the  matter  in 
the  right  way.  My  brother,  Jacob  Bunn,  who  was  present,  said 
to  him,  "John  will  run  if  you  want  him  to."  The  candidate  of 


286  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

the  Democrats  was  Charles  Ridgely.  I  confess  I  was  pleased  with 
the  idea,  and  when  the  Republican  city  convention  met  I  was 
an  interested  auditor  of  the  proceedings.  I  expected  to  hear 
my  own  virtues  extolled  in  the  lofty  way  common  in  such  con- 
ventions. Lincoln  told  me  nothing  of  his  plans  as  to  how  the  an- 
nouncement of  my  candidacy  would  be  made  or  in  what  man- 
ner I  would  be  brought  out.  The  convention  was  nearly  over  and 
I  began  to  think  the  matter  of  my  nomination  had  been  forgot- 
ten. In  a  city  so  Democratic  as  Springfield  Republican  nomina- 
tions were  regarded  at  best  as  rather  formal  and  perfunctory 
affairs.  Near  the  close  of  the  convention  a  young  man  —  a  law- 
yer who  was  an  inmate  of  Lincoln's  office  —  addressed  the  chair- 
man and  said  he  would  like  to  make  a  nomination  for  the  office 
of  city  treasurer,  but  that,  if  the  suggestion  he  should  make  did 
not  meet  with  the  favor  of  every  delegate  present,  he  would 
withdraw  the  name.  He  then  put  my  name  in  nomination,  but 
again  said:  "If  there  is  any  delegate  on  this  floor  opposed  to  the 
candidacy  of  Mr.  Bunn  I  do  not  wish  his  name  to  be  voted  upon 
or  to  go  on  the  ticket."  No  one  objected  and  I  was  nominated 
by  acclamation. 

When  I  saw  who  was  nominating  me  and  knew  that  he  was  an 
inmate  of  Mr.  Lincoln's  office,  I,  of  course,  knew  very  well  that 
he  was  acting  under  Mr.  Lincoln's  orders.  The  result  of  the  elec- 
tion was  that  I  was  chosen  for  treasurer,  and  I  may  say  I  was 
again  chosen  in  1858,  in  1859,  and  in  1860.  In  all  these  cam- 
paigns I  was,  so  to  speak,  under  the  political  wing  of  Mr.  Lincoln. 

A  day  or  two  after  the  first  nomination  for  city  treasurer  I  was 
going  uptown  and  saw  Mr.  Lincoln  ahead  of  me.  He  waited  until 
I  caught  up  and  said  to  me,  "How  are  you  running? "  I  told  him 
I  did  n't  know  how  I  was  running.  Then  he  said,  "Have  you 
asked  anybody  to  vote  for  you  ?"  I  said  that  I  had  not.  "Well," 
said  he,  "  if  you  don't  think  enough  of  your  success  to  ask  any- 
body to  vote  for  you,  it  is  probable  they  will  not  do  it,  and  that 
you  will  not  be  elected."  I  said  to  him,  "Shall  I  ask  Democrats 
to  vote  for  me  ? "  He  said, "  Yes,  ask  everybody  to  vote  for  you." 
Just  then  a  well-known  Democrat,  named  Ragsdale,  was  coming 
up  the  sidewalk.  Lincoln  said,  "Now,  you  drop  back  there  and 
ask  Mr.  Ragsdale  to  vote  for  you."  I  turned  and  fell  in  with  Mr. 
Ragsdale,  told  him  of  my  candidacy,  and  said  I  hoped  he  would 


LINCOLN  DURING  THE  CAMPAIGN      287 

support  me.  To  my  astonishment  he  promised  me  that  he  would. 
Mr.  Lincoln  walked  slowly  along  and  fell  in  with  me  again  and 
inquired,  "Well,  what  did  Ragsdale  say?  Will  he  vote  for  you?" 
I  answered,  "Yes,  he  told  me  he  would."  "Well,  then,"  said 
Lincoln,  "you  are  sure  of  two  votes  at  the  election,  mine  and 
Ragsdale's."  This  was  my  first  lesson  in  politics  and  I  received  it 
from  a  welcome  source. 

During  the  time  between  the  election  of  Mr.  Lincoln  and  his 
departure  from  Springfield  for  Washington  he  had  his  office  in 
the  old  State  House.  I  was,  of  course,  deeply  interested  in  the 
campaign  being  a  member  of  a  local  committee  which  had  charge 
of  matters  in  Springfield  and  Sangamon  County  as  well  as  treas- 
urer of  the  same. 

One  day  after  the  election  had  resulted  successfully  I  went 
over  to  Mr.  Lincoln's  room  in  the  State  House,  and  as  I  passed 
up  the  stairway  I  met  Salmon  P.  Chase,  of  Ohio,  coming  away. 
When  I  entered  the  room  I  said  to  Mr.  Lincoln,  rather  abruptly, 
"You  don't  want  to  put  that  man  in  your  Cabinet,  I  hope?"  It 
was  an  impertinent  remark  on  my  part,  but  Mr.  Lincoln  received 
it  kindly,  and  replied  to  me  in  a  characteristic  way,  by  saying, 
"Why  do  you  say  that?"  "Because,"  I  answered,  "he  thinks  he 
is  a  great  deal  bigger  than  you  are."  "Well,"  inquired  Lincoln, 
"do  you  know  of  any  other  men  who  think  they  are  bigger  than  I 
am  ? "  I  replied,  "  I  cannot  say  that  I  do,  but  why  do  you  ask  me 
that?"  "Because,"  said  Mr.  Lincoln,  "I  want  to  put  them  all  in 
my  Cabinet." 

On  another  occasion,  after  the  campaign  was  over  and  I  was 
again  in  Mr.  Lincoln's  office,  mention  was  made  of  the  interest 
and  time  I  had  given  to  the  canvass  locally.  Lincoln  asked  me 
some  questions  which  brought  out  the  fact  that  I  had  spent  a 
good  deal  of  my  own  money  in  the  canvass  —  a  thousand  dollars 
or  more.  Mr.  Lincoln  suggested  that  I  was  not  able  to  lose  that 
money.  He  spoke  very  seriously.  I  replied  to  him,  "Yes,  Mr. 
Lincoln,  I  am  able  to  lose  it  because  when  you  have  reached 
Washington  you  are  going  to  give  me  an  office."  The  statement 
seemed  to  startle  him  and  the  look  in  his  face  grew  very  serious. 
He  promptly  denied  that  he  had  promised  me  any  office  what- 
ever. "No,  Mr.  Lincoln,"  I  replied,  "you  have  not  promised  me 
anything,  but  you  are  going  to  give  me  an  office  just  the  same." 


a88  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

"What  office  do  you  think  I  am  going  to  give  you?"  he  asked. 
"The  office  of  Pension  Agent  here  in  Illinois,"  I  exclaimed. 
"During  Isaac  B.  Curran's  term  as  Pension  Agent  under  Bu- 
chanan I  have  done  all  the  work  in  the  office  in  order  to  get  the 
deposits  in  my  brother's  bank.  The  salary  amounts  to  one  thou- 
sand dollars,  and  when  you  go  to  Washington  you  are  going  to 
give  me  that  office."  To  this  he  made  no  word  of  reply,  and  there 
was  therefore  no  way  of  determining  what  effect  my  prediction 
made  upon  him.  All  I  know  is  that  three  days  after  his  inaugura- 
tion as  President,  Caleb  B.  Smith,  his  Secretary  of  the  Interior 
in  Washington,  sent  to  Springfield  my  commission  as  Pension 
Agent. 

I  do  not  believe  that  anything  on  earth  could  have  exacted  a 
promise  from  Mr.  Lincoln  to  give  me  that  office;  nor  do  I  think 
he  would  have  bargained  to  give  any  man  an  administrative 
office  before  or  after  his  election.  It  is  probable  that  he  selected 
the  members  of  his  Cabinet  and  that  he  had  advised  them  of  the 
fact  before  they  were  appointed,  but  outside  of  his  Cabinet  of- 
ficers I  do  not  believe  he  promised  anybody  an  office  before  the 
day  of  his  inauguration,  and  yet  the  incident  I  have  above  re- 
lated shows  that  he  was  not  by  any  means  insensible  to  ordinary 
political  considerations. 

The  presidential  election  of  1860  took  place  November 
6th.  "In  the  morning  of  that  day,"  relates  Herndon, 
"  I  dropped  in  at  the  office  in  the  State  House  to  see  Mr. 
Lincoln  and  inquired  how  and  when  he  expected  to  cast 
his  vote.  At  first  he  questioned  the  propriety  of  his  voting 
at  all,  but,  on  being  reminded  of  his  duty  to  his  friends  on 
the  State  ticket,  he  called  for  a  ballot,  cut  off  the  names  of 
the  presidential  electors,  and  started  for  the  polls.  On  one 
side  of  him  walked  Ward  H.  Lamon,  on  the  other  side, 
Elmer  Ellsworth,  and  I  immediately  in  the  rear.  A  goodly 
number  had  gathered  at  the  polling-place,  and  there  was 
more  or  less  cheering  when  Lincoln  appeared,  but  the 
crowd  very  gracefully  gave  way,  many  raising  their  hats, 


GOING  TO  THE  POLLS  289 

when  he  approached  the  ballot  box  and  handed  up  his 
ticket.  People  forgot  their  political  differences  for  the  time> 
the  Democrats  vying  with  the  Republicans  in  their  en- 
deavor to  accord  the  first  presidential  candidate  Spring- 
field ever  had  proper  deference  and  respect." 

Aside  from  the  fact  that  it  resulted  overwhelmingly  in  his 
favor,  but  little  remains  to  be  said  regarding  the  election 
of  Lincoln  beyond  what  has  already  been  recorded.  A 
few  days  after  the  election  the  following  announcement 
appeared  in  the  "Springfield  Journal": 

"To-day  and  until  further  notice,  Mr.  Lincoln  will  see 
visitors  at  the  Executive  Chamber  in  the  State  House  from 
10  to  12  A.M.  and  from  3.30  to  5.30  P.M.  each  day." 

His  own  residence  being  inadequate  for  the  purpose  he 
was  now  installed  in  the  Governor's  room  in  the  State 
House,  which  was  not  used  for  official  business  during  the 
period  the  Legislature  was  not  in  session,  and  here  he 
greeted  and  received  the  procession  of  visitors  who  daily 
made  their  way  to  his  office.  "There  was  free  access  to 
him,"  relate  Nicolay  and  Hay;  "not  even  an  usher  stood  at 
the  door;  any  one  might  knock  and  enter.  His  immediate 
personal  friends  from  Sangamon  County  and  central  Illinois 
availed  themselves  largely  of  the  opportunity.  With  men 
who  had  known  him  in  field  and  forest  he  talked  over  the 
incidents  of  their  common  pioneer  experience  with  unaf- 
fected sympathy  and  interest  as  though  he  were  yet  the 
flatboatman,  surveyor,  or  village  lawyer  of  early  days." 

To  be  known  as  the  President  elect  was  a  new  experience 
for  Lincoln,  but  its  effect  was  not  apparent,  for  it  in  no 
way  wrought  any  change  in  his  demeanor  or  attitude  to- 
ward others.  He  was  as  unaffected,  as  thoughtful,  and  as 


29o  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

easy  of  approach  as  ever.  Two  weeks  after  the  election, 
accompanied  by  his  wife,  he  journeyed  to  Chicago  where 
he  met  Hannibal  Hamlin,  the  Vice-President  elect.  After 
a  visit  of  several  days,  which  included  a  reception  at  the 
Tremont  House,  the  two  separated,  Mr.  Hamlin  depart- 
ing for  Washington  and  the  President  elect  returning  to 
Springfield.  It  was  the  first  time  Lincoln  had  been  away 
from  his  home  since  his  nomination  in  May.  At  the  re- 
ception a  line  of  visitors  for  two  and  a  half  hours  moved 
through  the  middle  parlor  of  the  hotel  to  the  Dearborn 
Street  front,  shaking  Lincoln's  hand.  At  his  right  stood 
Mrs.  Lincoln  and  next  Mr.  Hamlin.  Being  very  tall,  Lin- 
coln had  to  stoop  slightly  when  shaking  hands  with  people 
of  average  height.  When  one  tall  man  came  along  Lincoln 
raised  his  hand  in  astonishment  and  exclaimed:  "Well, 
you're  up  some,  too,  aren't  you?"  The  "Chicago  Trib- 
une" in  its  issue  of  November  2yth  reports  that  "Messrs. 
Lincoln  and  Hamlin  on  Sunday  attended  divine  service  in 
company  with  Congressman  I.  N.  Arnold  at  St.  James's 
Church  on  Cass  Street,  and  in  the  afternoon  they  visited 
the  North  Market  Mission  where,  after  the  usual  services, 
the  President  elect  delivered  a  short  address  which  was 
received  with  much  pleasure  by  the  destitute  children  at- 
tending the  Sabbath  school." 

In  due  time  Lincoln  was  again  in  Springfield  domi- 
ciled in  the  office  assigned  to  him  in  the  State  House  in 
which  to  receive  and  listen  to  the  army  of  visitors  des- 
tined to  call  on  him  before  his  departure  for  Washington. 
The  .procession  was  almost  endless  and  from  every  part  of 
the  country.  He  denied  himself  to  no  one.  "Among  the 
visitors  who  called  on  Mr.  Lincoln  yesterday,"  reported 


VISITORS  AT  HIS  OFFICE  291 

the  "Springfield  Journal"  early  in  January,  1861,  "was 
an  old  gentleman  dressed  in  plain  homespun  clothing  who 
hailed  from  Mississippi.  Mr.  Lincoln  talked  freely  with 
him,  explaining  that  he,  the  President  elect,  entertained 
none  but  the  kindliest  feeling  toward  the  people  of  the 
South  and  that  he  would  protect  the  South  in  her  just 
rights.  The  man  went  away  delighted.  After  he  had  left 
Mr.  Lincoln's  office  and  stood  outside  the  door,  he  re- 
marked, while  the  tears  stole  down  his  furrowed  cheeks: 
*O  if  the  people  of  the  South  could  but  hear  what  I  have 
listened  to,  they  would  love  instead  of  hating  Mr.  Lincoln. 
I  will  tell  my  friends  at  home,  but,'  he  added  sorrowfully* 
'  they  will  not  believe  me.'  He  repeated  the  wish  that  every 
man  in  the  South  could  be  personally  acquainted  with  Mr. 
Lincoln." 

A  week  after  this  incident  one  of  the  Springfield  papers 
reports  that  "Mr.  Lincoln  was  called  upon  to-day  by  an 
old  man  from  Indiana  named  Jones  for  whom  thirty  years 
ago  he  worked  as  a  common  farm-hand  at  a  dollar  a  day," 
referring  to  William  Jones  who  kept  the  store  at  the  vil- 
lage of  Gentryville,  where  Mr.  Lincoln  spent  his  boyhood, 
and  who  later,  as  Colonel  of  the  5jd  Regiment,  Indiana 
Volunteers,  fell  at  the  siege  of  Atlanta. 

The  following  which  appeared  in  the  "  Springfield  Jour- 
nal "  serves  to  indicate  that  events  in  Mr.  Lincoln's  career 
as  President  elect  were  rapidly  unfolding: 

We  had  the  pleasure  yesterday  of  inspecting  the  magnificent 
suit  of  clothes  which  has  been  in  course  of  preparation  for  Mr. 
Lincoln  since  his  visit  to  Chicago.  It  is  manufactured  by  mer- 
chant tailors  in  Chicago  and  consists  of  a  dress  coat,  pants,  vest, 
and  cravat.  The  coat  is  of  the  best  cloth  that  can  be  bought  in 
the  country  and  made  up  with  a  taste  and  in  a  style  that  cannot 


292  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

be  bought  in  any  country.  The  pants  are  of  the  best  and  finest 
black  cassimere;  the  vest  of  the  finest  grandiere  silk  and  lined 
with  buff  goods  of  the  same  kind.  The  whole  was  presented  to 
Mr.  Lincoln  with  the  following  inscription:  "To  Hon.  Abraham 
Lincoln  from  A.  D.  Titsworth,  Chicago,  Ills."  which  is  beauti- 
fully worked  on  the  inside  of  the  coat  collar. 

On  January  8th  Mr.  Lincoln  attended  a  joint  meeting  of 
both  houses  of  the  Illinois  Legislature  and  witnessed  the 
election  of  Lyman  Trumbull  to  the  United  States  Senate. 
His  presence  was  the  "signal  for  a  demonstration  of  pro- 
longed applause  as  he  took  his  seat  beside  Judge  Caton 
near  the  Speaker's  desk." 

That  Mrs.  Lincoln  also  was  not  without  interest  in  the 
developments  of  the  hour  may  be  gleaned  from  this  an- 
nouncement which  appeared  in  the  "Cleveland  Herald" 
January  loth:  " Conductor  Ames's  train  on  the  Cleveland 
and  Toledo  Railroad  this  morning  brought  in  Mrs.  Lincoln, 
wife  of  the  President  elect,  accompanied  by  her  brother- 
in-law,  Mr.  C.  M.  Smith,  and  Hon.  Amos  Tuck,  of  New 
Hampshire.  They  will  proceed  to  New  York  by  way  of 
Buffalo  and,  after  a  few  days'  stay  to  make  purchases  for 
the  White  House,  will  go  to  Cambridge,  Mass.,  to  visit  Mr. 
Lincoln's  son  who  is  at  Harvard  College.  Pres.  Gardiner 
tendered  the  courtesies  of  the  road  from  Toledo  to  Cleve- 
land and  Supt.  Nottingham  set  apart  a  special  car  to  take 
the  party  to  Buffalo." 

The  time  for  Lincoln's  final  departure  from  Springfield 
was  now  rapidly  approaching,  and  although  necessarily 
greatly  preoccupied  he  was  not  so  deeply  engaged  that 
he  forgot  the  claims  of  those  who  had  befriended  him  be- 
fore he  was  either  popular  or  famous.  Accordingly,  as  soon 


JOURNEY  TO  CHARLESTON,  ILLINOIS    293 

as  his  wife  returned  from  her  Eastern  trip,  he  tore  himself 
away  from  the  anxious  crowd  who  had  so  sedulously  fol- 
lowed his  every  movement  and  journeyed  to  Coles  County, 
Illinois,  to  visit  his  aged  stepmother,  then  living  in  the 
country  a  few  miles  from  the  town  of  Charleston.  "He 
cannot  hope  to  meet  her  again  for  several  years,"  records 
the  local  paper,  "  and  it  is  as  characteristic  of  Mr.  Lincoln 
triumphant  as  Mr.  Lincoln  defeated  that  he  has  always 
maintained  the  closest  intimacy  with  all  his  kindred  how- 
ever humble  their  fortunes."  While  there  he  also  paid  a 
visit  to  the  grave  of  his  father.  In  the  evening  he  rode 
back  to  Charleston  in  company  with  his  aged  relative, 
and,  at  the  urgent  request  of  the  citizens,  held  an  im- 
promptu reception  in  one  of  the  public  halls.  A  large 
number  of  the  people  took  advantage  of  the  opportunity 
to  shake  him  by  the  hand.  Though  called  upon,  Lincoln 
declined  making  any  remarks  shadowing  forth  his  views 
of  the  present  state  of  the  country  or  the  policy  of  the 
coming  administration. 

I  knew  and  often  talked  with  Augustus  H.  Chapman, 
whose  wife  was  a  daughter  of  Dennis  Hanks,  and  who  was 
Lincoln's  companion  when  he  drove  from  Charleston  to 
see  his  stepmother.  "During  the  ride,"  related  Colonel 
Chapman,  "Mr.  Lincoln  became  more  or  less  reminiscent, 
adverting  frequently  to  family  affairs.  He  spoke  in  the 
most  affectionate  way  of  his  stepmother,  characterizing 
her  as  the  best  friend  he  ever  had.  He  alluded  to  the  sad, 
if  not  pitiful  condition  of  his  father's  family  at  the  time  of 
the  marriage  to  his  stepmother  and  described  the  whole- 
some change  in  the  children  due  to  her  encouragement  and 
advice.  He  also  spoke  of  the  campaign  of  1860  and  the 


294  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

loyal  support  of  the  Union  men,  dwelling  especially  on  the 
eloquence  and  ability  of  Caleb  B.  Smith,  of  Indiana,  who 
had,  in  his  opinion,  rendered  him  more  effective  service 
than  any  other  public  speaker." 

This  journey  and  visit  by  Lincoln  to  his  stepmother 
has  been  so  accurately  and  vividly  recalled  by  the  late 
James  A.  Connolly,  a  lawyer  in  Charleston  at  the  time,  that 
I  feel  I  cannot  consistently  omit  his  account  of  the  incident. 
It  was  carefully  imparted  to  me  one  afternoon  in  his  law 
office  in  Springfield,  to  which  place  Major  Connolly  had 
removed  about  ten  years  after  the  close  of  the  Civil  War. 
After  describing  how  he  emigrated  from  Ohio  to  Charleston, 
where  he  landed  late  in  the  fifties  to  begin  the  practice  of 
law,  he  said: 

"In  the  closing  days  of  January,  1861,  word  came  to 
Charleston  that  Mr.  Lincoln  was  coming  down  from  Spring- 
field to  pay  a  farewell  visit  to  his  aged  stepmother  at  her 
home  in  the  country.  On  hearing  this  I  went  down  to  the 
railroad  station  to  witness  his  arrival,  only  to  learn  that  he 
had  failed  to  make  connection  with  the  regular  passenger 
train  at  Mattoon  and  was  therefore  forced  to  come  over 
from  that  place  on  the  evening  freight.  We  waited  a  long 
time  and,  when  the  train  finally  drew  in  and  stopped,  the 
locomotive  was  about  opposite  the  station  and  the  caboose, 
or  car  which  carried  the  passengers,  was  some  distance  down 
the  track.  Presently,  looking  in  that  direction,  we  saw  a 
tall  man  wearing  a  coat  or  shawl,  descend  from  the  steps 
of  the  car  and  patiently  make  his  way  through  the  long  ex- 
panse of  slush  and  ice  beside  the  track  as  far  as  the  station 
platform.  I  think  he  wore  a  plug  hat.  I  remember  I  was 
surprised  that  a  railroad  company,  with  so  distinguished  a 


REMINISCENCE  OF  JAMES  A.  CONNOLLY    295 

passenger  aboard  its  train  as  the  President  elect  of  the 
United  States,  did  not  manifest  interest  enough  in  his  dig- 
nity and  comfort  to  deliver  him  at  the  station  instead  of 
dropping  him  off  in  the  mud  several  hundred  feet  down  the 
track.  In  addition  to  myself  quite  a  crowd  of  natives  were 
gathered  on  the  platform  to  see  him.  I  confess  I  was  not 
favorably  impressed.  His  awkward,  if  not  ungainly  figure 
and  his  appearance  generally,  failed  to  attract  me,  but  this 
was  doubtless  due  to  the  fact  that  I  was  a  great  admirer  of 
Douglas  whose  cause  I  had  earnestly  supported.  There 
were  no  formalities.  Mr.  Lincoln  shook  hands  with  a  num- 
ber of  persons,  whom  he  recognized  or  who  greeted  him,  and 
in  a  few  minutes  left  for  the  residence  of  a  friend,  where, 
it  was  understood,  he  was  to  spend  the  night.  On  the  way 
uptown  from  the  station  I  was  joined  by  Colonel  A.  P. 
Dunbar,  an  old  lawyer,  who  told  me  that  he  intended  to 
call  on  Mr.  Lincoln  at  the  residence  where  the  latter  was 
expected  to  spend  the  night,  and  invited  me  to  accompany 
him.  I  accepted  the  invitation  and  later  we  walked  out  to 
the  house  together.  We  timed  our  call  so  as  to  meet  Mr. 
Lincoln  after  he  had  eaten  his  supper.  On  the  way  I  re- 
member Dunbar  expressed  a  doubt  as  to  how  he  should  ap- 
proach or  address  Mr.  Lincoln.  He  told  me  they  were  old 
friends  and  associates  at  the  bar,  but  now,  since  Mr.  Lin- 
coln had  risen  in  life  and  was  President  elect,  Dunbar  felt 
that  he  must  keep  within  the  proprieties  of  the  occasion. 
There  was  therefore  some  question  in  his  mind  as  to  his 
own  manner  and  behavior.  He  dared  not  betray  any  famil- 
iarity in  addressing  him  for  fear  of  offending  good  taste, 
and  yet  there  had  always  been  the  greatest  freedom  in  their 
intercourse  with  each  other.  Finally  he  announced  that 


296  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

his  conduct  would  depend  on  Lincoln's  attitude.  'If  he  is 
noticeably  dignified  and  formal,'  said  Dunbar, '  I  must  act 
accordingly.' 

"When  we  reached  the  house  the  family  were  still  at  the 
supper  table,  but  Mr.  Lincoln  himself  had  withdrawn  and 
was  in  the  front  room  sitting  before  the  fire.  In  response 
to  our  knock  the  door  opened  and  who  should  step  forward 
to  greet  us  but  Lincoln  himself.  Grasping  Dunbar's  out- 
stretched palm  with  one  hand  and  resting  the  other  hand 
on  his  shoulder,  he  exclaimed  in  a  burst  of  animation,  'Lord 
A'mighty,  Aleck,  how  glad  I  am  to  see  you ! '  That  broke  the 
spell;  and  if  any  stiffness  or  formality  was  intended  it  dis- 
appeared like  magic.  I  was  introduced  and  presently  we 
were  all  sitting  together  and  facing  the  fire.  Lincoln  did 
most  of  the  talking.  He  was  cheerful  and  communicative. 
After  an  exchange  of  ideas  and  recollections  of  the  past  with 
Dunbar,  he  was  soon  telling  stories.  Apparently  there  was 
a  flood  of  them,  one  following  another  and  each  invariably 
funnier  than  its  predecessor.  It  was  a  novel  experience  for 
me.  I  certainly  never  before  heard  anything  like  it.  I  shall 
never  forget  the  one  story  which  he  had  evidently  reserved 
for  the  last,  for  he  announced  that  it  was  the  strangest  and 
most  amusing  incident  he  had  ever  witnessed.  I  knew  it 
would  be  interesting  and  was,  therefore,  all  attention.  It 
was  about  a  girl  whose  duty  it  was  to  find  and  drive  home 
the  family  cow.  'One  day,'  said  Mr.  Lincoln,  'she  rode  a 
horse  bareback  to  the  woods.  On  the  way  home  the  horse, 
frightened  by  a  dog  or  something  which  darted  from  be- 
hind a  bush,  made  a  wild  dash  ahead,  the  girl  still  astride 
when  suddenly — '  at  this  point  Mr.  Lincoln  halted  a  mo- 
ment, for  some  one  was  knocking  at  the  door.  He  stepped 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  WASHINGTON      297 

across  the  room  and  opened  it,  when  lo,  there  stood  the 
Presbyterian  preacher,  his  wife,  and  two  other  ladies.  Of 
course  Mr.  Lincoln  had  to  suspend  his  narrative.  Mean- 
while other  callers  arrived  and  in  a  short  time  the  house 
began  to  fill  with  them,  whereupon  Dunbar  and  I  decided  to 
withdraw.  As  we  made  our  way  downtown  Dunbar,  well 
knowing  what  an  admirer  of  Douglas  I  was  inquired: 
'Now  that  you  have  seen  and  heard  the  long-legged  indi- 
vidual whom  our  friend  Douglas  defeated  for  Senator,  what 
do  you  think  of  him  ?'  I  had  to  confess  that  he  was  a  marvel 
—  a  charming  story-teller  and  in  other  repects  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  men  I  ever  listened  to.  'But  he  was 
guilty  of  one  thing  I  shall  never  cease  to  regret, '  I  said, 
'What  was  it?'  he  asked.  'He  failed  to  relate  the  closing 
chapter  of  that  last  story,'  I  answered." 

Meanwhile  owing  to  the  approaching  meeting  of  the 
Legislature  of  Illinois  and  the  need  by  that  body  of  the  room 
in  the  State  House  which  Lincoln  for  some  months  had 
occupied  as  an  office,  the  latter  deemed  it  proper  to  vacate 
the  premises  and  secure  quarters  elsewhere.  Accordingly  he 
accepted  the  offer  of  Mr.  Joel  Johnson  and  took  up  his 
abode  in  the  second  story  of  a  building  owned  by  the  latter 
opposite  the  Chenery  House,  the  leading  hotel  in  the  town. 
We  are  therefore  reminded  in  the  "Springfield  Journal," 
February  4th,  that  "The  present  week  being  the  last  that 
Mr.  Lincoln  remains  in  Springfield,  and  it  being  indis- 
pensable that  he  should  have  a  portion  of  the  time  to  him- 
self, he  will  see  visitors  only  at  his  office  No.  4  Johnson 
Building  from  3.30  to  5.00  P.M.  each  day";  and  thither,  un- 
til the  time  was  ripe  for  the  inaugural  journey  to  Washing- 
ton, trudged  the  long  line  of  weary  pilgrims  anxious  to  con- 


298  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

gratulate  or  seek  the  favor  of  the  President  elect.  It  was 
during  this  period  that  Mr.  Lincoln,  betaking  himself  to  an 
unfurnished  room  over  his  brother-in-law's  store  in  Spring- 
field, spent  several  days  in  the  preparation  of  his  Inaugural 
Address,  the  story  of  which  is  more  minutely  told  in  another 
chapter.  But  writing  addresses  and  state  papers  was  not 
the  only  thing  that  absorbed  Mr.  Lincoln's  time,  for  one 
day  early  in  February  the  local  paper  records  that  "Hor- 
ace Greeley,  returning  from  Jacksonville  where  he  had  lec- 
tured, had  a  three  hours'  interview  with  Mr.  Lincoln  and 
five  Indianaians  called  to  solicit  a  Cabinet  position  for  the 
Hoosier  State,  three  of  them  supporting  the  claims  of 
Caleb  Smith  and  two  favoring  Schuyler  Colfax." 

A  day  or  two  before  his  departure  from  Springfield  in 
February,  Lincoln  climbed  the  unbanistered  stairway 
leading  to  his  law  office  on  the  west  side  of  the  Pub- 
lic Square  for  a  final  interview  with  Herndon.  "I  knew 
that  Messrs.  Lincoln  and  Herndon,"  is  the  testimony  of 
Henry  B.  Rankin,  a  law  student,  "would  prefer  to  talk 
alone,  and  so  after  Mr.  Lincoln  came  in  I  left  the  office 
and  sauntered  below  into  Chatterton's  jewelry  store  where  I 
waited  till  they  came  down."  For  an  account  of  what  oc- 
curred or  what  was  said  when  the  two  partners  were  alone 
we  are  indebted  to  Herndon. 

"In  the  afternoon  on  one  of  his  last  days  in  Springfield," 
he  relates,  "  Mr.  Lincoln  came  down  to  our  office  to  exam- 
ine some  papers  and  confer  with  me  regarding  the  status  of 
several  lawsuits  and  certain  other  matters  that  concerned 
us.  both.  Once  or  twice  before  he  had  intimated  that  he 
wanted  to '  have  a  long  talk '  with  me  as  he  expressed  it,  but, 
until  then,  his  visits  to  the  office  had  been  so  brief  and  few 


FINAL  INTERVIEW  WITH  HERNDON     299 

in  number  the  desired  interview  had  not  taken  place.  On 
this  occasion  we  examined  our  books  and  arranged  for  the 
settlement  of  all  pending  and  unfinished  matters.  Going, 
over  the  record  of  our  business  he  noted  some  cases  in 
which  he  was  especially  interested  and  in  others  certain 
lines  of  procedure  he  thought  I  should  follow.  These  things, 
disposed  of  he  crossed  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  room  and 
lay  down  on  the  old  office  sofa  or  lounge  for  a  few  minutes, 
his  gaze  fastened  on  a  certain  spot  near  the  ceiling  as  if  in 
a  brown  study.  Presently  he  inquired:  'Billy'  —  he  al- 
ways called  me  by  that  name  — '  how  long  have  we  been, 
together?'  'Over  sixteen  years,'  I  answered.  'We've  never 
had  a  cross  word  during  all  that  time,  have  we?'  to  which  I 
returned  an  emphatic  'No,  indeed.'  He  began  to  hark  baclc 
to  the  past,  recalling  the  adventures  of  earlier  days,  and 
including  the  recital  of  more  than  one  amusing  incident. 
My  memory  was  also  stimulated,  and  although  he  did  most 
of  the  talking  he  still  afforded  me  ample  opportunity  to  re- 
call some  of  the  things  to  which,  otherwise,  I  would  not 
have  alluded.  He  was  never  more  entertaining  and  cheer- 
ful. At  the  conclusion  of  our  talk  he  arose,  gathered  a 
bundle  of  papers,  and  started  to  leave,  meanwhile  suggest- 
ing that  our  partnership  should  continue  indefinitely.  'Give 
our  clients  to  understand,'  he  said,  '  that  the  election  of  a 
President  makes  no  change  in  the  firm  of  Lincoln  &  Hern- 
don;  for  if  I  live  I'm  coming  back  in  due  time  and  then 
we'll  resume  practice  as  if  nothing  had  ever  happened.'  He 
paused  a  moment  as  if  to  take  a  last  look  at  the  old  quarters 
and  then  passed  through  the  door  into  the  narrow  hallway. 
I  accompanied  him  downstairs  where  we  separated.  He 
was  never  in  the  office  again." 


300  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

Herndon's  account  of  this  meeting  with  Lincoln  is 
verified  by  H.  B.  Rankin,  the  law  student  mentioned 
above.  He  testifies  as  follows:  "The  evening  I  saw  Messrs. 
Lincoln  and  Herndon  come  down  the  stairs  from  their 
office,  Mr.  Lincoln  had  just  told  Herndon  that  he  ex- 
pected to  return  to  Springfield  when  his  term  of  office  had 
ended  and  resume  with  him  their  law  practice  the  same  as 
if  nothing  had  happened.  He  further  requested  Herndon  to 
let  the  office  sign  remain  and  conduct  business  in  the  firm's 
name  until  his  return,  all  of  which  was  complied  with;  fon 
until  the  day  the  bullet  of  the  assassin  Booth  had  done  its 
gruesome  and  atrocious  work,  the  little  sign,  'Lincoln  & 
Herndon,  Attorneys  at  Law,'  was  still  swinging  on  its 
rusty  hinges  at  the  foot  of  the  stairway." 

One  incident  attending  this  interview  between  Lincoln 
and  Herndon,  and  which  was  communicated  to  me  by  the 
latter  when  I  collaborated  with  him,  has  thus  far  not  been 
told.  Herndon,  unfortunately,  had  a  decided  and  well- 
developed  weakness  for  liquor,  a  habit  which  not  only 
militated  against  his  success  as  a  lawyer,  but  seriously  im- 
paired his  usefulness  in  other  respects.  The  appetite 
which  manifested  itself  at  an  early  day  gradually  increased, 
the  so-called  sprees  occurring  at  more  frequent  intervals 
as  the  days  rolled  by.  Herndon,  in  the  account  which  he 
gave  me  of  this  period  of  his  life,  including  the  story  of  his 
deplorable  and  bibulous  habits,  seemed  to  be  anxious  to 
reveal  all  the  facts.  Apparently  he  withheld  nothing.  In 
some  respects  it  was  a  painful  recital,  but,  having  told 
everything,  he  appeared  to  experience  more  or  less  relief, 
much  after  the  manner  of  the  man  who,  being  closeted 
with  one  of  his  closest  friends,  makes  a  clean  breast  of  his 


FINAL  INTERVIEW  WITH  HERNDON     301 

delinquency.  He  admitted  that  his  conduct  frequently 
was  an  embarrassment  to  Lincoln  who  was  in  every  re- 
spect a  total  abstainer  himself.  "But  although  I  have 
nothing  to  add  in  extenuation  of  my  offense,"  he  said,  "  I 
must  insist  that  in  his  treatment  of  me  Mr.  Lincoln  was  the 
most  generous,  forbearing,  and  charitable  man  I  ever  knew. 
Often  though  I  yielded  to  temptation  he  invariably  re- 
frained from  joining  in  the  popular  denunciation  which, 
though  not  unmerited,  was  so  frequently  heaped  upon  me. 
He  never  chided,  never  censured,  never  criticized  my  con- 
duct —  more  than  that,  never,  save  on  one  occasion,  al- 
luded to  it.  That  was  the  evening  we  were  together  in 
our  office  for  the  last  time.  It  was  near  sunset.  We  had 
finished  the  details  of  our  business  and  for  a  while  were  en- 
gaged in  the  exchange  of  reminiscences  when  suddenly, 
without  rising  from  his  seat,  he  blurted  out:  'Billy,  there's 
one  thing  I  have,  for  some  time,  wanted  you  to  tell  me,  but 
I  reckon  I  ought  to  apologize  for  my  nerve  and  curiosity 
in  asking  it  even  now.  '  What  is  it  ? '  I  inquired. '  I  want  you 
to  tell  me/  he  said, '  how  many  times  you  have  been  drunk.' 
It  was,  of  course,  a  rather  blunt  inquiry,  but  unexpected 
though  it  was  I  realized  that  it  came  from  an  honest  in- 
quirer, one  who  had  a  right  to  the  information,  and  I  there- 
fore answered  it  as  promptly  and  definitely  as  the  limited 
sources  of  knowledge  at  my  command  would  warrant. 
Meanwhile  I  felt  sure  a  lecture  or  moral  admonition  would 
follow  and  prepared  myself  accordingly,  but  much  to  my 
surprise  nothing  more  was  said  by  him  on  that  subject. 
Instead  he  relieved  my  tension  by  describing  the  various 
efforts  that  had  been  made  to  induce  him  to  drop  me  from 
the  partnership  and  substitute  certain  others,  whom  he 


302  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

named,  all  of  which  was  a  surprise  to  me.  He  assured  me 
that  he  invariably  declined  the  intervention  of  others  and 
admonished  those  who  sought  to  displace  me  that,  despite 
my  shortcomings,  he  believed  in  me  and  therefore  would  not 
desert  me." 


CHAPTER  XX 

Last  social  function  at  Lincoln's  home  —  He  receives  threatening  letters  — 
Sends  a  friend  to  Washington  to  sound  General  Scott  —  General  Thomas  S. 
Mather  returns  with  his  report  —  Plans  for  Lincoln's  journey  to  Washington  as 
outlined  in  the  local  papers  —  Personnel  of  the  party  selected  to  accompany 
him  —  Leaving  the  Chenery  House  —  His  trunks  —  Departure  from  the  rail- 
way station  —  Lincoln's  farewell  speech  —  Story  of  the  two  versions  —  His 
emotion  when  the  train  moved  off. 

THE  social  status  of  the  Lincolns  during  their  last  days  in 
Illinois  is  well  indicated  by  the  following  letter  of  a  corre- 
spondent of  the  "Missouri  Democrat"  written  at  Spring- 
field February  7,  1861: 

The  first  levee  given  by  the  President-elect  took  place  last  eve- 
ning at  his  own  residence  in  this  city  and  it  was  a  grand  outpour- 
ing of  citizens  and  strangers  together  with  the  members  of  the 
legislature.  Your  humble  servant  was  invited  to  attend.  Mr. 
Lincoln  threw  open  his  house  for  a  general  reception  of  all  the 
people  who  felt  disposed  to  give  him  and  his  lady  a  parting  call. 
The  levee  lasted  from  seven  to  twelve  o'clock  in  the  evening  and 
the  house  was  thronged  by  thousands  up  to  the  latest  hour.  Mr. 
Lincoln  received  the  guests  as  they  entered  and  were  made 
known.  They  then  passed  on  and  were  introduced  to  Mrs.  Lin- 
coln, who  stood  near  the  center  of  the  parlor,  and  who,  I  must 
say,  acquitted  herself  most  gracefully  and  admirably.  She  was 
dressed  plainly  but  richly.  She  wore  a  beautiful  full  trail,  white 
moire  antique  silk,  with  a  small  French  lace  collar.  Her  neck  was 
ornamented  with  a  string  of  pearls.  Her  head-dress  was  a  simple 
and  delicate  vine  arranged  with  much  taste.  She  displayed  but 
little  jewelry  and  this  was  well  and  appropriately  adjusted.  She 
is  a  lady  of  fine  figure  and  accomplished  address  and  is  well  cal- 
culated to  grace  and  to  do  honor  at  the  White  House. 

She  was  on  this  occasion  accompanied  by  four  of  her  sisters 
—  Mrs.  W.  S.  Wallace,  Mrs.  C.  M.  Smith,  of  Springfield,  Mrs. 
Charles  Kellogg,  of  Cincinnati,  and  a  Miss  Todd,  of  Kentucky. 
They  all  appeared  to  be  extremely  happy  and  I  hope  there  will  be 


304  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

nothing  thrown  in  their  way  to  hinder  them  from  experiencing 
in  full  all  the  pleasures  which  they  now  anticipate  in  coming 
events.  I  thought,  when  looking  upon  the  lovely  group  of  the 
Todd  family,  how  proud  old  Kentucky  would  have  felt  if  she 
could  have  been  present  to  witness  the  position  in  which  her  son 
and  daughters  were  placed. 

T.  W. 

This  was  the  last  social  function  or  gathering  at  Lin- 
coln's home;  for  preparations  even  then  were  under  way 
looking  to  his  departure  from  Springfield. 

Meanwhile,  at  this  time  and  for  a  few  weeks  prior  thereto 
Lincoln  was  in  receipt  of  numerous  notes  and  letters 
threatening  his  life  in  case  he  undertook  the  journey  to 
Washington  to  be  inaugurated.  At  first  he  paid  no  atten- 
tion to  them,  but  they  so  increased  in  violence  and  num- 
bers that  he  finally  concluded  he  could  no  longer  ignore 
them.  He,  therefore,  decided  to  send  the  late  Thomas  S. 
Mather,  Adjutant-General  of  Illinois,  to  Washington  com- 
missioned to  inquire  into  the  military  situation  and  es- 
pecially to  call  on  General  Scott,  apprise  him  of  the  threats 
the  President  elect  had  been  receiving,  and  learn  what,  if 
any,  precautions  would  be  taken  to  protect  the  latter  when 
he  came  to  be  inaugurated. 

I  knew  General  Mather  well,  and  when  I  was  in  Spring- 
field often  heard  him  relate  the  incidents  of  his  trip  to 
Washington.  The  diary  of  Major  E.  D.  Keyes,  who  was 
General  Scott's  military  secretary,  fixes  January  29,  1861, 
as  the  date  of  his  visit.  He  said  that  Lincoln  more  than 
all  else  seemed  to  be  concerned  regarding  Scott's  loyalty, 
anxious  to  learn  if  he  was  unreservedly  for  the  Union 
—  in  short,  if,  in  every  emergency  that  might  arise,  he 
could  be  depended  upon.  "That,"  related  General  Mather, 


SOUNDING  GENERAL  SCOTT  305 

"seemed  to  be  Lincoln's  chief  concern.  Senator  Seward, 
Mr.  Washburn,  and  others  had  certified  to  General  Scott's 
loyalty  and  high  character,  and  the  General  himself  had 
written  to  the  President  elect  offering  his  services  without 
reserve.  'But  he  is  a  Virginian,'  explained  Mr.  Lincoln, 
'and  while  I  have  no  reason  or  evidence  to  warrant  me 
in  questioning  him  or  his  motives,  still  I  shall  feel  better 
satisfied  if  you  will  visit  him  in  my  behalf.  When  you 
call  insist  on  a  personal  interview  and  do  not  leave  till 
you  have  seen  and  sounded  him.  Listen  to  and  look  him 
in  the  face.  Note  carefully  what  he  says,  and  when  you 
return  with  your  report  I  shall  probably  be  in  a  condition 
to  determine  about  where  he  stands  and  what  to  expect 
of  him.'" 

General  Mather  further  related  that  when  he  reached 
Washington  General  Scott  was  sick  and  confined  to  his  bed 
so  that  he  did  not  succeed  in  gaining  access  to  him  till  two 
days  later.  He  thus  describes  the  interview:  "Presently  I 
was  invited  upstairs  into  the  sick  man's  chamber.  There 
propped  up  in  bed  by  an  embankment  of  pillows  lay  the 
hero  of  Lundy's  Lane,  wrinkled  and  pale.  His  hair  and 
beard  were  disordered  and  his  flesh  lay  in  rolls  across  his 
warty  face  and  neck.  His  breathing  was  labored  and  diffi- 
cult. 'You  may  present  my  compliments  to  Mr.  Lincoln 
when  you  reach  Springfield,'  he  said  in  a  wheezy  voice, '  and 
tell  him  I  shall  expect  him  to  come  on  to  Washington  as 
soon  as  he  is  ready.  Say  to  him  also  that,  when  once  here, 
I  shall  consider  myself  responsible  for  his  safety.  If  neces- 
sary I  '11  plant  cannon  at  both  ends  of  Pennsylvania  Ave- 
nue, and  if  any  of  the  Maryland  or  Virginia  gentlemen 
who  have  been  so  threatening  and  troublesome  of  late 


306  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

show  their  hands  or  even  venture  to  raise  a  finger,  I'll 
blow  them  to  the  infernal  regions.'  I  shall  never  forget  the 
scene  nor  how  profoundly  the  old  soldier  seemed  to  be 
wrought  up.  His  trembling  frame  betokened  his  unequivo- 
cal and  righteous  indignation  at  the  perfidy  of  those  of  his 
countrymen  who  were  so  willing  to  destroy  the  Union  which 
he  had  fought  so  long  and  ardently  to  maintain. 

"In  due  time  I  reached  Springfield  and  promptly  made 
my  report  to  Mr.  Lincoln.  He  was  anxious  to  hear  it. 
Of  General  Scott's  rigid  determination  and  unswerving 
loyalty  I  assured  him  there  was  no  question  whatever;  all 
of  which  seemed  to  be  the  most  gratifying  information. 
It  allayed  all  doubt  that  may  have  found  lodgment  in  his 
mind;  for,  thenceforward,  the  local  situation  in  Washing- 
ton gave  him  no  further  concern  and  he  went  ahead  with 
his  preparations  for  the  inaugural  journey." 

The  story  of  the  departure  from  Springfield  and  the 
journey  to  Washington  has  in  nowise  been  overlooked 
by  Lincoln's  numerous  biographers,  but  it  will  not  be 
considered  a  repetition,  I  hope,  if  I  add  a  few  things, 
gleaned  from  the  local  papers  or  from  certain  Springfield 
people  whom  I  interviewed,  and  which  have  thus  far  not 
reached  the  public  eye.  It  is  recorded  that  he  left  Spring- 
field Monday,  February  u,  1861.  The  next  day  was  his 
fifty-second  birthday.  Having  shortly  before  leased  his  res- 
idence to  Mr.  L.  Tilton,  the  president  of  the  Great  West- 
ern Railroad,  he  disposed  of  his  furniture  and  removed 
with  his  family  to  the  Chenery  House,  the  leading  hotel 
in  the  city  where,  for  a  few  days,  he  occupied  rooms  on  the 
second  floor  facing  Fourth  Street. 


PLANS  FOR  JOURNEY  TO  WASHINGTON    307 

Robert  Lincoln,  the  oldest  son  [reports  the  "Springfield 
Register"],  came  home  from  college  to  accompany  the  family  to 
Washington.  During  Mr.  Lincoln's  sojourn  at  the  hotel  he  "had 
been  visited  by  many  men  of  prominence  whom  he  had  sum- 
moned for  conferences  on  national  affairs.  The  complete  ab- 
sence of  ostentation  and  his  physical  self-reliance  was  illustrated 
on  the  morning  of  his  departure  when  in  the  hotel  office  he  roped 
his  trunks  with  his  own  hands,  took  some  of  the  hotel  cards,  on 
the  back  of  which  he  wrote: 

A.  Lincoln 

White  House 

Washington ',  D.C.  — 

and  tacked  them  on  the  trunks,  supplementing  the  act  by  writ- 
ing his  autograph  on  another  card  and  giving  it  to  the  landlord's 
daughter.  In  due  time  the  omnibus  backed  up  in  front  of  the 
hotel  and  he  left  for  the  depot. 

The  special  train  which  is  to  bear  Mr.  Lincoln  to  Washington 
[is  the  comment  of  the  "Springfield  Journal"  in  its  issue  of  Feb- 
ruary nth]  will  start  this  morning  at  eight  from  the  Great 
Western  Railroad  depot.  It  will  be  under  charge  of  Mr.  W.  S. 
Wood  from  New  York  whose  arrangements  both  for  the  comfort 
and  the  safety  of  the  President  elect  are  perfect  and  prove  his 
managerial  capacity  to  be  of  the  highest  order.  The  party  num- 
bers about  fifteen  persons  besides  special  reporters  for  the  leading 
newspapers.  The  train  consists  of  one  passenger  and  one  bag- 
gage car  drawn  by  a  magnificent  Rogers  locomotive  under  the 
special  direction  of  Messrs.  Tilton  and  Bowen,  the  president  and 
superintendent  respectively  of  the  road.  Every  precaution  has 
been  taken  for  the  safety  of  the  train.  It  will  be  flagged  through 
—  a  pilot  engine  preceding  —  and  under  the  direction  of  Mr. 
J.  J.  S.  Wilson,  Superintendent  of  the  Telegraph,  will  be  tele- 
graphed from  station  to  station  and  retelegraphed  to  headquar- 
ters as  it  passes.  The  speed  will  be  about  thirty  miles  per  hour. 

According  to  the  original  plans  Mrs.  Lincoln  and  the 
younger  sons,  William  and  Thomas  or  Tad,  were  to  linger 
a  few  days  in  Springfield,  or  go  to  St.  Louis  for  a  brief  stay 
and  overtake  the  President  elect  at  some  point  in  the  East, 


308  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

thus  avoiding  the  slow  and  tedious  journey  through  Indi- 
ana, Ohio,  and  New  York.  Her  husband  and  eldest  son 
Robert,  then  an  undergraduate  at  Harvard,  who  had  re- 
turned from  the  East  a  few  days  before,  accordingly  left 
Springfield  in  the  morning  without  her;  but,  later  in  the 
day,  she  decided  to  leave  for  Indianapolis,  nevertheless. 
She  reached  that  place  and  rejoined  her  husband  the  next 
morning  shortly  before  the  special  train  departed  thence 
for  Cincinnati,  her  change  of  mind  being  due,  it  is  said,  to 
word  from  General  Scott  who  thought  Lincoln  would 
be  in  less  danger,  if  during  his  journey  he  was  surrounded 
by  his  family.  Regarding  this  change  of  programme  I  have 
been  permitted  to  copy  letters  from  two  residents  of 
Springfield  each  written  the  day  after  Lincoln's  depar- 
ture. In  one  the  writer  says: 

Mrs.  Lincoln  was  not  to  leave  for  some  days  after  Mr.  Lincoln's 
departure,  but  a  dispatch  from  General  Scott  determined  her  to 
leave  the  evening  of  the  same  day.  The  General  thought  it  would 
be  safer  for  him  to  be  surrounded  by  his  family.  Lockwood 
Todd  was  her  escort. 

In  the  other  letter,  after  describing  the  scene  at  the  rail- 
road station  when  Lincoln  made  his  farewell  speech,  the 
writer  adds: 

Mrs.  Lincoln  left  here  last  evening  to  overtake  her  husband  at 
Indianapolis  at  the  suggestion  of  General  Scott. 

General  Scott  had  detailed  two  army  officers  in  the  per- 
sons of  Major  David  Hunter  and  Colonel  E.  V.  Sumner  to 
accompany  Lincoln  from  Springfield  to  his  destination. 
Sumner  failed  to  report  in  time,  but  joined  the  special 
train  at  Indianapolis.  These  officers,  along  with  Ward  H. 
Lamon,  of  Danville,  Illinois,  who  was  an  aide  on  the  staff 


DEPARTURE  FROM  RAILWAY  STATION    309 

of  Governor  Yates,  and  Elmer  Ellsworth,  colonel  of  a  Chi- 
cago Zouave  regiment,  constituted  the  military  portion  of 
the  cortege.  Dr.  William  S.  Wallace,  Mr.  Lincoln's  brother- 
in-law,  was  the  physician.  Besides  those  named,  and  the 
President  elect  and  his  son  Robert,  the  following  composed 
the  party:  John  G.  Nicolay  and  John  Hay,  secretaries, 
N.  B.  Judd,  O.  H.  Browning,  David  Davis,  Jesse  K.  Du- 
bois,  Ebenezer  Peck,  Robert  Irwin,  Edward  L.  Baker, 
and  George  C.  Latham. 

Long  before  the  hour  appointed  for  the  departure  of  the  special 
train  provided  for  Mr.  Lincoln  and  his  suite  [observes  the  "  Spring- 
field Journal"  —  February  I2th]  hundreds  of  his  fellow  citizens 
without  distinction  of  party  assembled  at  the  station  of  the 
Great  Western  Railway  yesterday  to  tender  him  their  respects, 
grasp  once  more  that  honest  hand  and  bid  him  God-speed  on  his 
eventful  journey.  A  subdued  and  respectful  demeanor  character- 
ized the  vast  assemblage.  All  seemed  to  feel  that  they  were  about 
to  witness  an  event  which,  in  its  relations  to  the  future,  was  of  no 
ordinary  interest. 

Mr.  Herndon  was  not  at  the  railway  station  when  Lin- 
coln departed,  but  I  have  talked  to  others,  including 
John  G.  Nicolay,  John  W.  Bunn,  and  David  Davis,  who 
were  there.  Although  early  in  the  morning  and  the  weather 
unpleasant,  a  goodly  crowd  had  gathered. 

Early  Monday  morning  [relate  Nicolay  and  Hay]  found  Mr. 
Lincoln,  his  family  and  suite  at  the  dingy  little  railroad  station 
with  a  throng  of  at  least  a  thousand  of  his  neighbors  who  had 
come  to  bid  him  good-bye.  It  was  a  stormy  morning,  which 
seemed  to  add  gloom  and  depression  to  their  spirits.  The  leave- 
taking  presented  a  scene  of  subdued  anxiety,  almost  of  solem- 
nity. Mr.  Lincoln  took  a  position  in  the  waiting-room  where  his 
friends  filed  past  him  after  merely  pressing  his  hand  in  silent 
emotion. 

At  precisely  five  minutes  before  eight  [says  the  "Springfield 


3io  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

Journal "]  Mr.  Lincoln,  preceded  by  Mr.  Wood  of  New  York, 
slowly  made  his  way  from  his  room  in  the  station,  through  the 
expectant  masses  which  respectfully  parted  right  and  left  at  his 
approach,  to  the  car  provided  for  his  ride.  At  each  step  of  his 
progress  friendly  hands  were  extended  for  a  last  greeting.  On 
reaching  the  platform  of  the  car  Mr.  Lincoln  turned  toward  the 
people,  removed  his  hat,  paused  for  several  seconds  till  he  could 
control  his  emotions  and  then  slowly,  impressively,  and  with 
profound  emotion  uttered  the  following  words: 

"Friends,  no  one  who  has  never  been  placed  in  a  like  position 
can  understand  my  feelings  at  this  hour  nor  the  oppressive  sad- 
ness I  feel  at  this  parting.  For  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century 
I  have  lived  among  you,  and  during  all  that  time  I  have 
received  nothing  but  kindness  at  your  hands.  Here  I  have 
lived  from  my  youth  till  now  I  am  an  old  man.  Here  the  most 
sacred  trusts  of  earth  were  assumed;  here  all  my  children  were 
born;  and  here  one  of  them  lies  buried.  To  you,  dear  friends,  I 
owe  all  that  I  have,  all  that  I  am.  All  the  strange  checkered  past 
seems  to  crowd  now  upon  my  mind.  To-day  I  leave  you;  I  go  to 
assume  a  task  more  difficult  than  that  which  devolved  upon 
General  Washington.  Unless  the  great  God  who  assisted  him 
shall  be  with  and  aid  me,  I  must  fail.  But  if  the  same  omniscient 
mind  and  the  same  Almighty  arm  that  directed  and  protected 
him  shall  guide  and  support  me,  I  shall  not  fail;  I  shall  succeed. 
Let  us  all  pray  that  the  God  of  our  fathers  may  not  forsake  us 
now.  To  Him  I  commend  you  all  —  permit  me  to  ask  that  with 
equal  sincerity  and  faith  you  will  all  invoke  His  wisdom  and 
guidance  for  me.  With  these  few  words  I  must  leave  you  —  for 
how  long  I  know  not.  Friends,  one  and  all,  I  must  now  bid  you 
an  affectionate  farewell." 

The  half-finished  ceremony  was  broken  in  upon  [relate  Nicolay 
and  Hay]  by  the  ringing  bells  and  rushing  train.  The  crowd 
closed  about  the  railroad  car  into  which  the  President-elect  and 
his  party  made  their  way.  Then  came  the  central  incident  of  the 
morning.  The  bell  gave  notice  of  the  starting,  but  as  the  conduc- 
tor paused  with  his  hand  uplifted  to  the  bell-rope  Mr.  Lincoln  ap- 
peared on  the  platform  of  the  car  and  raised  his  hand  to  command 
attention.  The  bystanders  bared  their  heads  to  the  falling  snow- 
flakes  and,  standing  thus,  his  neighbors  heard  his  voice  for  the 


HIS  FAREWELL  SPEECH  311 

last  time  in  the  city  of  his  home  in  a  farewell  address  so  chaste  and 
pathetic  that  it  reads  as  if  he  already  felt  the  tragic  shadow  of 
forecasting  fate: 

"My  friends:  No  one  not  in  my  situation  can  appreciate  my 
feeling  of  sadness  at  this  parting.  To  this  place  and  the  kind- 
ness of  these  people  I  owe  everything.  Here  I  have  lived  a 
quarter  of  a  century  and  have  passed  from  a  young  to  an  old  man. 
Here  my  children  have  been  born  and  buried.  I  now  leave  not 
knowing  when  or  whether  I  may  return,  with  a  task  before  me 
greater  than  that  which  rested  upon  Washington.  Without  the 
assistance  of  that  Divine  Being  who  ever  attended  him,  I  cannot 
succeed.  With  that  assistance,  I  cannot  fail.  Trusting  in  Him 
who  can  go  with  me  and  remain  with  you  and  be  everywhere  for 
good,  let  us  confidently  hope  that  all  will  yet  be  well.  To  his  care 
commending  you,  as  I  hope  in  your  prayers  you  will  commend 
me,  I  bid  you  an  affectionate  farewell." 


The  speech  of  Lincoln  on  this  occasion  was  published 
on  the  day  of  its  delivery  in  the  "Springfield  Journal"  and 
also  in  the  "Chicago  Tribune."  Although  both  versions 
were  substantially  alike,  there  was  just  enough  variation 
to  occasion  among  those  who  are  divided  on  the  subject 
of  Lincoln's  belief  in  Christianity,  his  religious  faith  or 
lack  of  it,  a  difference  of  opinion  as  to  what  he  actually 
said.  Several  years  ago,  when  I  visited  John  G.  Nicolay  at 
his  home  in  Washington,  the  matter  of  Lincoln's  farewell 
address  at  Springfield  came  up  for  discussion.  Mr.  Nico- 
lay related  that  on  the  day  before  Lincoln  departed  he 
caused  the  newspaper  correspondents  gathered  about  the 
hotels  to  be  notified  that  nothing  warranting  their  atten- 
tion would  take  place  at  the  railroad  station  when  he  em- 
barked on  his  journey;  in  other  words,  that  speech-making, 
so  far  as  he  was  concerned,  would  not  begin  till  after  he  had 
left  Springfield.  But  the  next  morning  when  he  looked  into 


312  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

the  faces  of  the  neighbors  gathered  about  his  car  he  forgot 
the  assurances  to  the  newspaper  men  made  the  night  be- 
fore and  indulged  in  a  brief  but  appropriate  farewell  speech. 
The  moment  the  train  steamed  out  of  Springfield  the  news- 
paper men,  one  of  them  being  the  late  Henry  Villard, 
gathered  about  Lincoln  and  asked  him  to  furnish  them  with 
a  copy  of  his  speech;  reminding  him  that  they  were  given 
no  chance  to  take  it  down  as  delivered.  He  answered  that 
his  remarks  were  extempore  and  therefore  not  in  man- 
uscript form,  but  he  assured  them  that  he  would  write  the 
speech  in  full.  He  therefore  beckoned  to  Nicolay,  who  pro- 
vided paper  and  pencil,  and  he  proceeded  to  comply  with  the 
request.  He  penciled  a  few  lines,  then  halted  and  turned 
the  paper  over  to  Nicolay,  who  began  writing  where  he 
left  off,  Lincoln  meanwhile  dictating  to  him.  Presently 
at  his  request  Nicolay  returned  the  paper  to  him  and  he 
resumed  the  writing  himself,  but  erelong,  due  to  nervous- 
ness or  the  motion  of  the  train,  he  desisted  a  second  time  and 
again  invoked  the  aid  of  Nicolay,  who  continued  the  task, 
all  of  which  verifies  the  statement  that  the  farewell  address 
at  Springfield  published  in  the  "Century  Magazine"  in 
connection  with  the  Nicolay  and  Hay  "Life  of  Lincoln," 
was  correctly  printed  from  the  original  manuscript,  hav- 
ing been  written  immediately  after  the  train  started,  partly 
by  Lincoln's  own  hand  and  partly  by  that  of  his  private 
secretary  from  his  dictation.  When  I  visited  Mr.  Nico- 
lay he  showed  me  not  only  this  manuscript,  but  a  number 
of  others  also  in  Lincoln's  handwriting,  explaining  that 
before  he  left  Springfield  Lincoln  was  so  solicitous  and  care- 
ful regarding  his  utterances  en  route  to  Washington  that 
he  prepared  and  wrote  out  in  advance  such  speeches  as  he 


EMOTION  WHEN  THE  TRAIN  MOVED  OFF  313 

expected  to  make.  The  manuscripts  were  enclosed  in 
separate  envelopes  and  properly  labeled.  Knowing  that  I 
was  a  native  of  Indiana  he  withdrew  from  a  package  one 
envelope  and  turned  it  over  to  me  to  peruse.  On  it  Lin- 
coln had  endorsed  "For  Indianapolis."  It  proved  to  be 
the  manuscript  of  the  speech  intended  for  delivery  to  the 
Legislature  of  Indiana  containing  his  definition  of  coercion 
and  invasion,  and  a  brief  but  ingenious  dissertation  on  the 
sacredness  of  a  State.  I  read  it  with  the  deepest  interest. 

As  a  rule  Lincoln  was  well  poised.  He  could  not  be 
called  cold,  but  in  the  delivery  of  a  speech  or  on  public 
occasions  he  was  dignified  if  not  invariably  serious;  the  re- 
sult was  that  he  never  bubbled  over  —  rarely  ever  wept 
or  otherwise  betrayed  his  emotion.  That  condition,  how- 
ever, did  not  prevail  the  morning  he  separated  from  his 
friends  and  neighbors  in  February,  1861,  headed  for  Wash- 
ington. On  that  occasion  he  was  deeply  moved.  My 
authority  for  that  statement  comes  from  an  intimate 
friend  of  Lincoln,  James  C.  Conkling,  a  man  in  whom 
Lincoln  reposed  the  fullest  confidence  and  who  stood  within 
a  few  feet  and  immediately  in  front  of  him  when  he  bade 
his  neighbors  farewell  from  the  platform  of  his  car.  The 
testimony  is  in  the  handwriting  of  Mr.  Conkling  himself. 
Describing  the  incident,  he  says: 

It  was  quite  affecting.  Many  eyes  were  filled  to  overflowing  as 
Mr.  Lincoln  uttered  those  few  and  simple  words  of  farewell. 
His  own  breast  heaved  with  emotion  and  he  could  scarcely  com- 
mand his  feelings  sufficiently  to  commence.  There  was  scarcely 
a  dry  eye  in  all  that  vast  crowd. 

The  following,  which  is  the  farewell  incident  as  de- 


3H  THE  REAL  LINCOLN 

scribed  in  the  "Springfield  Journal,"  was  the  work  of  the 
editor  Edward  L.  Baker: 

It  was  a  most  impressive  scene.  We  have  known  Mr.  Lincoln 
for  many  years;  we  have  heard  him  speak  upon  a  hundred 
different  occasions;  but  we  never  saw  him  so  profoundly  af- 
fected, nor  did  he  ever  utter  an  address  which  seemed  to  us  so  full 
of  simple  and  touching  eloquence,  so  exactly  adapted  to  the  oc- 
casion, so  worthy  of  the  man  and  the  hour.  Although  it  was  rain- 
ing fast  when  he  began  to  speak,  every  hat  was  lifted  and  every 
head  bent  forward  to  catch  the  last  words  of  the  departing 
chief.  When  he  said,  with  the  earnestness  of  a  sudden  inspira- 
tion of  feeling,  that  with  God's  help  he  should  not  fail,  there  was 
an  uncontrollable  burst  of  applause.  At  precisely  eight  o'clock 
city  time  the  train  moved  off  bearing  our  honored  townsman,  our 
noble  chief,  Abraham  Lincoln,  to  the  scenes  of  his  future  labors 
and,  as  we  firmly  believe,  of  his  glorious  triumph.  God  bless 
honest  Abraham  Lincoln ! 

In  the  closing  days  of  January  the  following  adver- 
tisement had  appeared  in  the  columns  of  the  "  Spring- 
field Journal ": 

AT  PRIVATE  SALE 

The  furniture  consisting  of  Parlor  and  Chamber  Sets,  Carpets, 
Sofas,  Chairs,  Wardrobes,  Bureaus,  Bedsteads,  Stoves,  China, 
Queensware,  Glass  etc.  at  the  residence  on  the  corner  of  Eighth 
and  Jackson  streets  is  offered  at  private  sale  without  reserve. 
For  particulars  apply  at  the  premises  at  once. 

In  the  issue  of  March  came  this  notice: 

The  notes  and  papers  of  Mr.  Lincoln  are  left  with  Mr.  Robert 
Irwin  where  persons  interested  can  find  them.  If  any  of  the  ac- 
counts are  left  unpaid  Mr.  Irwin  will  pay  them  on  being  satisfied 
of  their  correctness. 

A.  LINCOLN 

THE  END 


INDEX 


INDEX 


Bagley  vs.  Vanmeter,  how  Lincoln 
secured  his  fee,  160. 

Bailey  vs.  Cromwell,  suit  by  Lincoln 
establishing  the  freedom  of  a  colored 
girl,  146. 

Baker,  Edward  L.,  meets  Lincoln  the 
morning  of  his  nomination,  265; 
his  account  of  Lincoln's  departure 
from  Springfield,  314. 

Birch,  Jonathan,  examined  for  admis- 
sion to  the  bar  by  Lincoln  at  Bloom- 
ington,  111.,  132-34;  Lincoln's  ap- 
pearance in  court  and  on  the  stump, 
199. 

Bloomington  Convention,  call  signed 
by  Lincoln  and  1 29  other  Springfield 
citizens,  253. 

Bradford,  John  S.,  invites  Lincoln's 
wife  to  join  him  and  his  family  in  a 
carriage  drive,  99. 

Brayman,  Moses,  retains  Lincoln  to 
assist  him  in  a  suit  against  the  Illi- 
nois Central  Railroad,  152. 

Browne,  Thomas  C.,  his  interruption  at 
the  Lincoln-Todd  wedding,  63. 

Bunn,  Jacob,  story  of  English  impos- 
tor and  how  Lincoln  secured  his  fee, 
203-05;  contributes  to  fund  to  meet 
Lincoln's  campaign  expenses,  283. 

Bunn,  John  W.,  his  recollection  of  the 
Horological  Cradle,  159;  what  Lin- 
coln told  him  about  the  fees  he  and 
Ben  Edwards  charged,  165;  incident 
of  Lincoln  and  the  notification  com- 
mittee, 273;  recollections  of  the 
President-elect,  282-88;  hears  Lin- 
coln's farewell  speech,  309. 

Butler,  Evan,  joins  literary  society 
along  with  Lincoln,  Matheney  and 
Milton  Hay,  70. 

Canton,  Edgar,  fugitive  slave  arrested 
and  tried  in  Springfield,  197. 


Carman  vs.  Glasscock,  suit  by  Lincoln 
involving  the  navigability  of  the 
Sangamon  River,  146-47. 

Castle,  Edward,  transports  Ward  La- 
mon  from  St.  Louis  to  Springfield, 
219. 

Chapman,  Augustus  H.,  accompanies 
Lincoln  when  he  visited  his  step- 
mother at  Charleston,  111.,  293. 

Chapman,  Harriet,  journeys  with  Mr. 
Lincoln  from  Charleston  to  Spring- 
field, 53;  describes  Lincoln  as  he 
lived  in  his  home,  55. 

Chase,  Salmon  P.,  incident  of  his 
visit  to  Lincoln  at  Springfield  as 
recalled  by  John  W.  Bunn,  287. 

Chicago  Convention,  Davis  and  Logan, 
two  men  on  whom  Lincoln  relied, 
261;  letters  by  Lincoln  to  C.  M. 
Allen  of  Indiana  and  R.  M.  Corwine 
of  Ohio,  262;  Knapp's  letter  to 
Lincoln,  263;  how  Lincoln  spent  the 
time  in  Springfield,  264-68;  arrival 
of  notification  committee,  271. 

Chiniquiy,  Charles,  retains  Lincoln  to 
represent  him  in  the  Spink  slander 
suit,  161;  Lincoln  prepares  decree, 
162. 

Condell,  Thomas,  contributes  to  Lin- 
coln's campaign  expenses  in  Spring- 
field, 283. 

Conkling,  Clinton  L.,  describes  Lin- 
coln's activities  during  the  Chicago 
convention,  269. 

Conkling,  James  C.,  recalls  Lincoln's 
farewell  at  Springfield,  313. 

Connolly,  James  A.,  saw  and  talked 
with  Lincoln  when  he  visited  his 
stepmother  at  Charleston,  294-97. 

Cooper  Institute  Speech,  what  the 
Springfield  people  said  about  it, 
258;  comments  of  the  Eastern  pa- 
pers, 259. 


INDEX 


Davis,  David,  what  Lincoln  said  to  him 
about  women,  65;  recalls  Lincoln's 
attention  to  the  singer,  76;  how 
Lincoln's  honor  saved  a  woman,  81; 
describes  Lincoln's  domestic  life,  90; 
estimate  of  Lincoln  as  a  lawyer, 
127;  relates  how  Lincoln  was  ap- 
prized of  his  vote  for  Vice-President 
at  the  Philadelphia  convention,  211; 
how  Ward  Lamon  entertained  him 
and  Lincoln  during  court  at  Dan- 
ville, 217;  prods  Lincoln  over  his 
attempt  to  lecture,  244;  hears  Lin- 
coln's farewell  speech  at  Springfield, 

3=9- 

Davis,  George  P.,  describes  Lincoln  on 
the  circuit,  189-92. 

Dawson  vs.  Enos,  last  suit  in  which 
Lincoln  appeared  in  court,  158. 

Delahay,  Mark  W.,  relates  stories  of 
lawsuits  in  which  he  and  Lincoln 
figured,  221;  invoking  Lincoln's  aid 
to  gain  a  seat  in  Congress  from 
Kansas,  222;  appointed  U.S.  Judge 
by  Lincoln,  223;  resigns  after  in- 
vestigation by  Congressional  com- 
mittee, 225. 

Discoveries  and  Inventions,  Lincoln's 
lecture,  243;  sections  of  same,  247- 

49- 

Donnelly,  William,  relates  how  Lincoln 
played  ball  the  day  of  his  nomination 
at  Chicago,  264. 

Donnohue,  Dillard  C.,  recollections 
of  the  Lincoln-Douglas  debate  at 
Charleston,  235-36. 

Dorman  vs.  Lane,  one  of  Lincoln's 
cases  in  the  Supreme  Court,  167;  how 
he  proposed  to  collect  his  fee,  168. 

Douglas,  Stephen  A.,  Lincoln's  esti- 
mate of,  229;  deceives  Lincoln  at 
Peoria,  231;  incidents  of  the  debate 
at  Charleston,  233-36. 

Dresser,  Charles,  solemnizes  marriage 
of 'Lincoln  and  Mary  Todd,  59. 

Dunbar,  Alexander  P.,  calls  on  Lin- 
coln when  he  visits  his  stepmother 
at  Charleston,  295. 


Duncan,  John,  how  he  and  Lincoln 
hunted  a  groundhog  in  Kentucky, 

»*• 

Dungey  vs.  Spencer,  slander  suit  in 
Dewitt  County,  111.,  162;  fixing 
Lincoln's  fee,  163. 

Eddy,  Franklin  M.,  recalls  Dorman- 
Lane  suit  and  marriage  of  Rebecca 
Daimwood,  167-68. 

Edmonds,  Alexander,  story  of  the 
Horological  Cradle  suit  tried  by 
Lincoln,  157. 

Edwards,  Benjamin,  his  answer  to 
Lincoln  about  attorney  fees,  165. 

Edwards,  Ninian  W.,  residence  of, 
where  Lincoln  and  Mary  Todd  were 
married,  58. 

Ellsworth,  Elmer,  accompanies  Lin- 
coln to  the  polls  when  he  votes, 
228;  also  when  he  goes  to  Washing- 
ton, 309. 

Fell,  Jesse  W.,  Lincoln  gives  him  his 
autobiography,  131. 

Ficklin,  Orlando  B.,  how  Lincoln  used 
him  at  the  Charleston  debate,  234. 

Fiske,  John,  his  Evolution  of  Society 
compared  to  Lincoln's  definition  of 
the  Law  of  Progress,  238. 

Floyd,  George  P.,  letter  from  Lincoln 
regarding  his  fee,  143. 

Francis,  Simeon,  wife  of,  reconciles 
Lincoln  and  Mary  Todd,  60;  her 
letter  to  Jesse  W.  Weik  regarding 
the  Lincoln-Todd  wedding,  64. 

Freese,  Jacob,  recommended  for  ap- 
pointment as  colonel  of  a  colored 
regiment  by  Lincoln,  132. 

Gollaher,  Austin,  recollects  Lincoln  as 
a  boy  in  Kentucky,  14. 

Gourley,  James,  knew  Lincoln  as  a 
neighbor,  1 19;  his  wife's  temper,  122. 

Greeley,  Horace,  visits  Lincoln  at 
Springfield,  298. 

Green  vs.  Green,  Lincoln's  first  di- 
vorce suit,  148. 


INDEX 


3*9 


Grubb  w.  Funk,  damage  suit  for  over- 
turning stage-coach,  156. 

Gunther,  Charles  F.,  secures  the  Lin- 
coln family  Bible,  32-33. 

Hanks,  Dennis  F.,  interview  with 
J.  W.  Weik  at  Charleston,  25; 
works  with  Abe  and  John  Johnston 
at  Posey's  Landing,  26;  letter  to 
Herndon,  27;  described  by  Herndon, 
39;  natural  son  of  Charles  Friend, 
40-41;  his  account  of  the  genealogy 
of  Nancy  Hanks,  42-45. 

Hanks,  John,  birth  as  fixed  by  Hern- 
don, 39;  leaves  Indiana  for  Illinois, 
45;  birth  and  descent  of  Nancy 
Hanks,  46;  invited  to  Abe  Lincoln's 
wedding,  58;  carries  in  the  rails  at 
the  Decatur  convention,  261;  his 
letter  in  the  Decatur  Chronicle  advo- 
cating the  election  of  Lincoln,  276- 
78. 

Hanks,  Lucy,  married  to  Henry  Spar- 
row in  Mercer  County,  Kentucky, 
41. 

Harris,  Gibson  W.,  describes  life  as  a 
student  in  the  office  of  Lincoln  & 
Herndon,  106;  also  recalls  Mrs. 
Lincoln,  108. 

Harris,  Jasper,  hires  Lincoln  to  sue 
railroad  for  personal  injuries,  156. 

Hatch,  O.  M.,  helps  Lincoln  in  Spring- 
field during  the  campaign  of  1860, 
283. 

Hawthorne  vs.  Woolridge,  account  of 
Lincoln's  first  lawsuit,  134-38. 

Hay,  John,  what  he  said  about  Lin- 
coln's personal  habits,  218;  assists 
Nicolay  in  caring  for  Lincoln's  cor- 
respondence, 284. 

Hay,  Milton,  along  with  Lincoln, 
Matheney,  and  Butler  joins  Spring- 
field literary  society,  70;  the  influ- 
ence of  Lincoln's  wife,  90-91;  rec- 
ommends John  Hay  to  Lincoln  as 
assistant  secretary,  284. 

Haycraft,  Presley,  describes  Abe  as  a 
boy  in  Kentucky,  15. 


Helm,  John  B.,  recalls  Lincoln  who  fre- 
quently visited  his  uncle's  store,  15. 

Herndon,  William  H.,  compared  with 
Lincoln,  3-4;  meets  J.  W.  Weik,  5; 
prepares  to  write  the  Life  of  Lincoln, 
7;  abandons  law-office  and  moves  to 
country,  8;  assorting  books  and  pa- 
pers, 10;  travels  into  Kentucky  and 
Indiana,  13-14;  describes  efforts  to 
determine  Lincoln's  birth  and  de- 
scent, 29-30;  the  ride  with  Lincoln 
to  Petersburg  and  what  he  said 
about  his  mother,  37;  the  genealogy 
of  Lincoln's  mother  as  outlined  by 
Dennis  and  John  Hanks,  40-45; 
Lincoln's  marriage  to  Mary  Todd, 
56;  attends  concert  in  public  hall 
with  Lincoln,  76;  Lincoln's  passion 
for  women,  81;  his  attitude  toward 
female  witnesses  and  clients,  82-85; 
his  conduct  at  home  and  the  gov- 
ernment of  his  children,  100-02; 
habits  in  the  office  and  his  manner 
of  reading,  105;  Herndon's  lecture 
analyzing  Lincoln  mentally  and 
physically,  110-18;  his  estimate  of 
Lincoln  as  a  lawyer,  128;  enters 
partnership  with  him,  139;  is  offered 
appointment  by  Lincoln  after  the 
latter  becomes  President,  140;  Lin- 
coln divides  fee  in  Illinois  Central 
Railroad  suit  with  him,  155;  where 
Lincoln  spent  his  evenings,  206-08; 
Lincoln  and  Herndon  as  patrons  of 
the  Springfield  banks,  212-14;  letter 
to  Henry  Wilson,  227;  how  Lincoln 
attempted  to  square  the  circle,  240; 
Herndon's  lecture  on  the  Sweep  of 
Commerce,  249-50;  describes  Lin- 
coln's speech  at  the  Bloomington 
convention,  255;  his  own  speech  at 
Petersburg,  278;  comment  of  the 
local  papers,  280;  Lincoln's  visit  to 
the  polls  on  election  day,  288;  meet- 
ing Lincoln  at  their  law-office,  299; 
the  final  interview,  301. 

Hill,  Frederick  T.,  mention  of  the 
Effie  Afton  case,  178. 


320 


INDEX 


Hillis,  Mrs.  Lois  E.,  recalls  Lincoln's 
fondness  for  the  town  concert,  76; 
the  episode  at  the  hotel,  78-80. 

Hitchcock,  Caroline,  her  investigation 
in  Kentucky  into  the  birth  of  Nancy 
Hanks,  39. 

Hitt,  Robert  R.,  reports  Lincoln's 
speech  in  the  Rock  Island  Bridge 
case,  179. 

Horological  Cradle,  Lincoln's  connec- 
tion therewith,  159,  242. 

Illinois  Central  Railroad,  hires  Lincoln 
to  represent  company  in  McLean 
County  suit,  152;  statement  of  six 
lawyers  justifying  Lincoln's  fee,  154. 

Indiana  and  Illinois  Lincoln  Route 
Commissions,  reports  of,  47;  list  of 
emigrant  party  and  route,  49. 

Ingalls,  John  j.,  recalls  Mark  W. 
Delahay  of  Kansas,  223. 

Irwin,  Robert,  joins  others  in  meeting 
Lincoln's  campaign  expenses,  283; 
looks  after  Lincoln's  business  af- 
fairs when  he  departs  for  Washing- 
ton, 314. 

Jayne,  Julia,  maid  of  honor  at  wedding 
of  Lincoln  and  Mary  Todd,  59. 

Jayne,  William,  witnesses  Lincoln- 
Todd  marriage,  59;  hears  Lincoln's 
lecture  at  Jacksonville,  243. 

Johnston,  John  D.,  letter  to  Herndon, 
50;  signs  Thomas  Lincoln's  name  to 
receipt  for  attorney's  fees  paid  over 
by  Abraham  Lincoln,  161. 

Jones,  William,  visits  Lincoln  at  Spring- 
field after  his  election,  291. 

Joy,  James  F.,  assists  Lincoln  in  Il- 
linois Central  Railroad  suit,  152. 

Judd,  Norman  B.,  Lincoln  spends  an 
evening  at  his  Chicago  home,  73; 
Mrs.  Judd's  recollection  of  the  visit, 
75- 

Kent,  Josiah  P.,  his  recollection  of  the 
Lincoln  household,  122;  driving  the 
Lincoln  carriage,  123;  attending  the 


circus  and  what  Lincoln  said  about 
it,  124;  borrowing  the  Lincoln  car- 
riage, 126. 

Keyes,  Gen.  E.  D.,  his  diary  fixes  the 
date  of  Mather's  visit  to  Gen.  Scott, 
304. 

Lamon,  Ward  H.,  evenings  spent  with 
Lincoln  and  Judge  Davis  in  Dan- 
ville, 217;  how  Lincoln  regarded 
him,  218;  his  conduct  as  U.S.  Mar- 
shal of  the  District  of  Columbia,  220; 
Lincoln  sends  him  to  South  Caro- 
lina to  see  Gov.  Pickens,  221;  ac- 
companies Lincoln  to  the  polls 
when  he  votes,  228,  also  joins  Lin- 
coln on  the  journey  from  Spring- 
field to  Washington,  308. 

Lincoln,  Abraham,  his  visits  to  Ken- 
tucky, 13;  describes  his  removal  to 
Indiana,  21 ;  early  schooling  there 
and  books  he  studied,  22,  23;  auto- 
biographical sketch  furnished  Jesse 
W.  Fell,  35;  joins  literary  society, 
70;  punishes  drunken  shoemaker, 
71;  spending  the  evening  with  the 
ladies  in  Urbana,  72;  an  evening  at 
the  home  of  Norman  B.  Judd  in 
Chicago,  73;  attends  concert  in 
public  hall  in  Springfield  with 
Herndon,  75,  76;  his  partiality  for 
Mrs.  Hillis  the  singer,  77-79;  his 
passion  for  women,  81;  avoiding 
social  functions  while  on  the  circuit, 
85;  investigation  to  determine 
whether  he  heard  Thackeray's  lec- 
ture in  St.  Louis,  86-88;  Lincoln  as 
a  married  man,  89-90;  his  mental 
equipment  as  described  by  a  Spring- 
field lawyer,  109;  Herndon's  analy- 
sis, 110-18;  journeys  to  Boonville, 
Indiana,  to  hear  lawyers  plead,  131; 
admitted  to  the  bar,  132;  his  three 
partners,  Stuart,  Logan  and  Hern- 
don, 139;  his  office  methods,  144; 
how  he  prepared  his  papers  and  the 
extent  of  his  practice,  146;  his  aver- 
sion to  divorce  suits,  140-49;  suits 


INDEX 


321 


for  fees,  151;  letter  to  M.  Brayman, 
152;  one  of  his  earliest  damage  suits, 
156;  the  Horological  Cradle  case, 
157-59;  his  decree  in  the  Chiniquiy 
suit,  162;  Dorman  vs.  Lane  and  what 
Lincoln  said  about  his  fee,  168;  his 
briefs  and  how  he  prepared  them, 
170;  his  argument  in  the  Rock  Island 
Bridge  case  and  his  opinion  of  Judge 
McLean,  180-87;  teaching  the 
woman  who  bought  the  Matheney 
land,  fair  play,  201;  stores  and 
offices  where  he  lounged,  206;  eve- 
nings spent  at  the  Supreme  Court 
Clerk's  office,  208;  receives  news  of 
his  vote  for  Vice-President  at  the 
Philadelphia  convention,  211;  how 
he  and  Herndon  kept  track  of  their 
fees  and  their  business  at  the  bank, 
212-14;  his  failure  to  restrain  or 
reform  Herndon,  216;  his  friendship 
and  partiality  for  Ward  Lamon, 
218;  sends  Lamon  on  a  mission  to 
South  Carolina,  221;  appoints  Mark 
W.  Delahay  U.S.  Judge  in  Kansas, 
223;  his  appointment  of  Simon  Cam- 
eron, 226;  incidents  of  the  joint 
debate  with  Douglas,  230-35;  stud- 
ies Euclid,  239;  working  on  his 
patent  in  Walter  Davis's  shop,  242; 
lecture  on  Discoveries  and  Inven- 
tions, 244;  turns  manuscript  over 
to  Mrs.  Grimsley,  246;  his  speech 
in  Springfield  in  October,  1854,  in 
answer  to  Douglas,  252;  announces 
himself  at  the  Bloomington  con- 
vention, 256;  resolutions  of  Spring- 
field convention  endorsing  Lincoln 
for  President,  260-61;  Lincoln  dur- 
ing the  Chicago  convention,  264-68; 
his  speech  to  the  people  who  called 
to  congratulate  him,  270;  arrival 
of  the  notification  committee,  274; 
meeting  the  expenses  of  the  cam- 
paign, 283;  how  he  cast  his  ballot 
on  election  day,  288;  goes  to  Chi- 
cago, 290;  visits  his  stepmother  at 
Charleston,  293;  last  social  recep- 


tion at  the  Lincoln  home,  303;  sends 
Thomas  S.  Mather  to  Washington 
to  see  Gen.  Scott,  304;  leases  his 
residence  to  L.  Tilton,  306;  the 
party  which  accompanied  Lincoln 
to  Washington,  309;  the  farewell 
speech  at  Springfield,  310-14. 

Lincoln  &  Herndon,  their  fee-book, 
141;  their  bank  account,  213. 

Lincoln,  Mary  Todd,  her  domestic 
economy  and  experience  with  trades- 
men, 92-95;  described  by  Herndon, 
96-98;  dealings  with  servants  and 
children,  100-03;  travels  to  New  York 
after  her  husband's  election,  292. 

Lincoln's  melancholy,  observed  and 
portrayed  by  Stuart,  Treat,  Conk- 
ling,  Matheney,  Davis,  Swett,  and 
Whitney,  in;  the  recollection  of 
Robert  L.  Wilson,  1 13. 

Lincoln,  Robert,  accompanies  his 
father  on  the  journey  from  Spring- 
field to  Washington,  309. 

Lincoln,  Sarah,  described  by  Hern- 
don, 33;  her  marriage  to  Aaron 
_Grigsby,  34. 

Lincoln,  Thomas,  lived  in  Coles  Coun- 
ty, Illinois,  but  did  not  visit  Spring- 
field, 50;  his  son  Abraham  turns 
over  to  him  fees  he  earned  in  the 
McKibben  vs.  Hart  lawsuit,  160. 

Linder  vs.  Fleenor,  the  slander  suit  in 
Coles  County,  165-67. 

Linder,  Usher  F.,  assists  Lincoln  in 
the  Bagley-Vanmeter  case,  160. 

Logan,  Emily,  a  fugitive  slave  case 
tried  in  Springfield,  195. 

Logan,  Stephen  T.,  begins  law-part- 
nership with  Lincoln,  139;  recom- 
mended by  Lincoln  to  Secretary  of 
War  for  commissioner  to  settle  war 
claims,  139. 

McKibben    vs.    Hart,    noted    slander 

suit  in  Coles  County,  160. 
Matheney,  Charles,  owned  land  bought 

by  widow  which  Lincoln  surveyed, 

202. 


322 


INDEX 


Matheney,  James  H.,  describes  wed- 
ding of  Lincoln  and  Mary  Todd, 
60;  joins  literary  society  to  which 
Lincoln,  Butler,  and  Hay  belonged, 
70;  assists  in  punishing  the  drunken 
shoemaker,  71;  recollections  of 
Lincoln's  domestic  life,  90;  story  of 
Mary  Todd  at  the  party,  98. 

Melvin,  Samuel  H.,  recalls  Lincoln's 
lecture  on  Discoveries  and  Inven- 
tions, 245. 

Miller  vs.  Miller,  a  divorce  character- 
ized by  Lincoln  as  a  pitiful  story, 
150. 

Moffett,  John  B.,  sued  by  Lincoln  for 
his  attorney  fee,  151. 

Moore,  Clifton  H.,  joins  Lincoln  in 
the  Dungey-Spencer  lawsuit,  164; 
recalls  what  Lincoln  said  about 
Douglas,  231. 

Nicolay,  John  G.,  serves  as  Lincoln's 
secretary,  283;  accompanies  him  to 
Washington,  309;  incidents  of  the 
departure  from  Springfield,  310-14. 

Owens,  Mary,  declines  Lincoln's  offer 
of  marriage,  56;  what  Lincoln  wrote 
her  about  flourishing  in  carriages,  66; 
riding  with  him  to  the  party  at  Uncle 
Billy  Greene's,  69. 

Parks,  Samuel  C.,  his  opinion  of  Lin- 
coln as  a  lawyer,  128. 

Patterson  vs.  Edwards,  a  unique  slan- 
der suit,  170;  Lincoln's  brief,  171-74. 

Pickett,  Thomas  J.,  proposes  Lincoln 
for  President:  Lincoln's  answer,  260. 

Pitcher,  John,  recalls  how  Lincoln 
consulted  him  about  studying  law, 
130. 

Rankin,  Henry  B.,  recalls  Lincoln's 
last  meeting  with  Herndon,  300. 

Richards,  John  T.,  the  feeling  between 
railroads  and  steamboats  over  the 
Rock  Island  bridge,  178. 

Rickard,    Sarah,    declines    Lincoln's 


marriage  proposal,  56;  Lincoln  es- 
corts her  to  the  theater,  67. 

Rock  Island  Bridge  suit,  tried  before 
Judge  John  McLean,  177;  Lincoln's 
argument,  180;  his  opinion  of  Judge 
McLean,  187;  how  he  applied  the  fee 
he  earned,  214. 

Rodman,  Jesse  H.,  his  visit  to  Lincoln 
at  Washington:  Lincoln  recalls 
incidents  of  his  boyhood  in  Ken- 
tucky, 1 8. 

Rowbotham,  John  H.,  visits  Kentucky 
and  Indiana,  18;  describes  Lincoln's 
birthplace,  20. 

Scammon  vs.  Cline,  Lincoln's  first 
Supreme  Court  case,  138. 

Scott,  Gen.  Winfield,  what  he  told 
Thomas  S.  Mather  in  Lincoln's 
behalf,  305;  details  Major  Hunter 
and  Col.  Sumner  to  accompany 
Lincoln  from  Springfield  to  Wash- 
ington, 308. 

Scripps,  John  L.,  visits  Lincoln  to  se- 
cure data  for  his  campaign  biog- 
raphy, 36. 

Smith  vs.  Smith,  suit  on  election  bet, 
174;  how  Lincoln  regarded  wrongs  on 
the  ballot  box,  176. 

Smith,  Caleb  B.,  what  Lincoln  told 
Col.  Chapman  about  him,  294. 

Smith,  C.  M.,  accompanies  his  sister- 
in-law  Mrs.  Lincoln  to  New  York, 
292. 

Speed,  Joshua  F.,  apprized  of  his 
wedding  by  Lincoln,  63;  writes 
Herndon  about  Lincoln's  marriage 
to  Mary  Todd,  68. 

Springfield  convention,  resolutions  of 
Sangamon  County  favoring  Lincoln 
for  President,  260-61. 

Springfield  Journal,  how  the  people 
received  news  of  Lincoln's  nomina- 
tion, 270;  the  great  rally  in  August, 
274. 

Stuart,  John  T.,  letter  from  Lincoln, 
57;  loans  Lincoln  law-books,  131; 
enters  partnership  with  Lincoln, 


INDEX 


323 


139;  comments  on  Lincoln's  Cooper 
Institute  speech,  258. 

Stuart  &  Lincoln,  what  their  fee-book 
revealed,  142. 

Swett,  Leonard,  notes  Lincoln's  atten- 
tion to  the  lady  singer,  76;  account  of 
his  first  meeting  with  Lincoln,  192- 
93;  Lincoln's  faults,  2ir-  his  at- 
tempt to  lecture,  244. 

Tarbell,  Ida,  assists  Caroline  H.  Hitch- 
cock in  determining  the  birth  and  de- 
scent of  Nancy  Hanks,  39. 

Thornton,  Hempstead,  a  fugitive  slave 
case  tried  in  Springfield,  196. 

Tilton,  L.,  leases  Lincoln's  residence 
after  latter  leaves  Springfield,  306. 

Titsworth,  A.  D.,  presents  Lincoln 
clothes  to  be  worn  at  his  inaugura- 
tion, 291. 

Treat,  Samuel  H.,  his  opinion  of  Lin- 
coln's wife  and  the  interrupted  chess 
game,  102. 

Trumbull,  Lyman,  speech  in  Spring- 
field after  Lincoln's  nomination,  281. 

Turnham,  David,  loans  Lincoln  Re- 
vised Statutes  of  Indiana,  130. 

Wallace,  William  S.,  accompanies 
Lincoln  from  Springfield  to  Wash- 
ington, 309. 

Weik,  Jesse  W.,  visits  Kentucky  to 
investigate  stories  of  Lincoln's  ori- 
gin, 29;  the  Enloe  tradition,  31-32; 
interview  with  Ninian  W.  Edwards 
and  wife,  63;  interview  with  one  of 
Lincoln  &  Herndon  female  clients, 
82-85;  t™68  to  learn  if  Lincoln  heard 
a  lecture  by  Thackeray  in  St.  Louis, 
86-88;  visits  John  G.  Nicolay,  311- 

12. 

Weldon,  Lawrence,  recollections  of  the 

Dungey-Spencer  lawsuit,  163. 
White,  Horace,  his  estimate  of  Hern- 


don, 1-2;  notices  Lincoln's  moral 
obtuseness,  216;  what  he  said  about 
Mark  W.  Delahay  and  Simon  Cam- 
eron, 226;  Lincoln  as  a  politician, 
228;  recollections  of  Douglas,  232; 
Lincoln's  campaign  handbook,  233. 

Whitney,  Henry  C.,  letter  regarding 
Herndon,  2-3;  Lincoln's  visit  to  the 
Urbana  jail,  51-53;  at  the  Mayor's 
residence,  72;  Lincoln's  partiality 
for  Miss  Newhall,  the  concert 
singer,  76;  how  Lincoln  spent  the 
evenings  on  the  circuit,  85;  accom- 
panies Lincoln  to  the  negro  minstrel 
show  in  Chicago,  86;  describes  the 
Spink  vs.  Chiniquiy  suit,  161; 
recollections  of  Lincoln  on  the  cir- 
cuit, 188-91;  is  assisted  by  Lincoln 
as  attorney  for  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad,  194;  Lincoln  as  a  guest  of 
the  American  House  at  Urbana,  209; 
helps  Lincoln  collect  his  fees,  211; 
riding  in  the  omnibus,  212;  recalls 
Lincoln's  lecture  on  Discoveries 
and  Inventions,  244;  the  incident  at 
Bloomington  after  the  convention, 
257. 

Williams,  John,  joins  the  other  Spring- 
field friends  of  Lincoln  in  meeting 
the  latter's  campaign  expenses,  283. 

Wilson,  Henry,  opposes  Ward  Lamon 
when  Lincoln  appoints  him  U.S. 
Marshal  of  the  District  of  Columbia, 
220;  recalls  the  letter  Herndon  wrote 
him  describing  Lincoln,  227. 

Wilson,  James  Grant,  tries  to  deter- 
mine whether  Lincoln  heard  Thack- 
eray's lecture  in  St.  Louis,  86-88. 

Wilson,  J.  J.  S.,  sends  telegrams  to 
Lincoln  from  Chicago  announcing 
his  nomination,  267-69. 

Wilson,  Robert  L.,  relates  what  Lin- 
coln told  him  about  his  mental  de- 
pression, 112. 


